Xenoblade: The Zekenator Chronicles
by Snow22
Summary: The origin story of the Legendary price, depicting the clumsy adventures of Zeke and his Blade with some fluff and stuff (and NSFW later) in between.
1. Introductions

Zeke, also commonly known as Prince Ozchylrus at the tender age of 15, was hand-selected by his father to resonate with his own Blade. Despite the family not having one to themselves, the opportunity to see something brand new among his generation was nerve-wracking. Even as his father handed him the cube-shaped crystal that glowed and sparked slightly with each touch, the small prince fumbled with it.

The king of Tantal did not seem pleased at even this falter move. "Ozchylrus…I know you have a tendancy to be clumsy but please, for the sake of your people do not drop the core crystal."

"Y-yes father…"

"It has been a very, very long time since anyone has even touched that crystal. I could not even resonate it with it myself…but in legend it was said to have the power to control our very titan itself."

Zeke gulped nervousness down, hands now cradling the precious object to his heart.

"Go my son. And be strong."

Still small, still short-haired at that point and lacking any semblance of a future eye-patch the prince stood bravely with thin chest puffed out in pride. While he didn't always get along with his father, Zeke knew deep down he was to do this for the sake of his land. He huffed out a rush of confident wind and glanced to the throne room's entrance. A handful or so of people in his secluded kingdom had gathered here to witness the event. He shook gently, but smoothed back his hair.

"I can do this."

He stepped from the hidden room to the side and came into the hallway. He swaggered down the center of the onlookers, who almost parted in respect to his presence, Seeing the looks of hope and wonder on the people's faces made his heart swell with a certain pride. He wanted to share that feeling with everyone.

He stood before his father's throne, and thought for a moment about what he should say and do. The prince opened his palm to show off the crystal, and gave a charismatic smirk. "Everyone! Feast your eyes! Watch the birth of the first Blade of the Prince of Tantal."

He was scared, nervous but refused to let it show. It could easily backfire, he could die right then and there in front of everyone if he could not resonate. But there was a certain, pulsating warmth within the object he held, and it flourished. The aura of it surrounded his body like a cloud, and he swore he could almost feel eyes watching him from it, the feeling of electric fingertips running up and down his arms. He held it high above his head, and from far in the distance the sound of thunder roared throughout the cloud sea.

A bolt of lightning surrounded the stage of the throne, and Zeke could feel his pulse starting to race and the energy flowing throughout his entire being and soul. Within a flash, the form of the light shaped into a petite woman.

Flustered by this, Zeke shyly glanced over the Blade standing beside him. She mimicked his movements, even down to his bewildered expression. She had shoulder-length green fuzzy hair, with a minature top-hat in the shape of a lightbulb that was balanced perfectly atop her head. She had adorable droopy pointed ears, and thick rounded almost opaque glasses sitting upon her tiny nose. She wore a purple pinstripe uniform, with flairs of colors along her right leg. Topping it all off was a frisky, waving tail that ended in a lightbulb as well, like an angler fish luring in a potential victim.

"Hello there!" She announced with a nasally, but incredibly delightful voice, "My name is Pandoria. I'm here to help!" She posed gently with a baton in her hands, bowing deeply.

"W…Welcome to Tantal Pandoria. I am Prince Ozchylrus. I will be from this day on your Driver!" He posed heroically but then held out a hand, "Put her there!"

She replicated his movements and held out her opposite hand. When Zeke placed his fingers upon her hand and started to shake it, he felt his body seize and then wildly flail. He was picked up by the force of the shock, and thrown across the throne room straight into the wall. His skin sizzled a tad, and the tips of his hair were spurting out puffs of dark smoke. He coughed as Pandoria rushed over to him and gasped, holding her face. "Oh my gosh, I am so sorry my prince! I didn't mean that…my power…" She self-consciouslyf held the crystal in her chest but Zeke shook his head as he pried himself from the wall.

"No! Don't be ashamed! That was just an example of the awesome power I will have to learn how to work alongside with!" He licked the palm of his hand and stopped the arrival of a flame to his scalp. He smiled at her, and her shoulders relaxed a bit. He held out his hand and took hers in his, this time with only a small spark arriving afterwards. "I can tell you and I are going to be great partners."

"You…think so?" She curiously tilted her head and blushed a bit, but then replaced her confused gaze with a larger than life grin. "I'm glad I'll be your Blade then, Oz…Ozy…"

"Please." He bowed softly, "Call me Zeke!"

"Alright. Zeke." She bowed back and giggled gently. "I hope that we have a lot of fun together."

xXx


	2. First Fight

Learning to live with Pandoria took some time. Adjusting to having something…no someone completely new to him and everyone around him was a task in of itself. He noticed that she learned by mimicking a lot of his movements. She was also a bit of a troublemaker, constantly breaking into his room by picking the lock with just her tail alone. He would often find that when he was roused from sleep it was because she was at his side, snoring away loudly.

He couldn't deny that it was fairly adorable, but he was also afraid that his father would find them together like that.

She was often just used to control the direction of their Titan's path, moving Genbu through the cloud sea in accordance to the king's wishes.

Zeke's father had decreed it would be safe for her to travel alongside him after a few months. Pandoria had never seen the outside, but could always feel its chilled air seeping through the cracks of the castle.

The gates were opened, and her eyes widened at the sight before her. The layers upon layers of ruins and rubble, the mountainous sections, the wide frozen lake below them, the snow spreading across the fields. "Woah…what is this stuff?"

"This?" He cleared his throat, "Why this is snow Pandoria!"

She snickered a bit, covering her mouth with her hand. "Big dummy, I know what snow is. But…why is there so much of it…inside a Titan of all places?"

"Father told me it was because we needed to use the energy of the Titan for the good of other countries. Not sure how much I believe that but hey, makes for a fun snow day…every day!" He packed a bunch of it into a sphere and rolled it along the ground until it was a large pile. Pandoria followed suit and stacked another lump onto it, making a very oddly shaped snowman. They both stood back, placing their fingers on their chins in deep thought. "I think we can do better than this."

"For sure!" She agreed, and together they quickly assembled a more rounded, more perfected snow gentleman. "He should have a hat, just like yours!"

"Why of course!" She fashioned the snow hat and carefully placed it atop the head of their creation.

Zeke chuckled at the sight of it, "What a magnificent fellow! If this keeps up, you and me will be the best Driver and Blade duo!"

"We haven't even started fighting."

"Ah righto…" He pondered. "I'm sure there's something around here that won't chew us to bits…" He looked down the hill leading up to the castle, and gulped seeing ferocious looking bipedal monstrosities many locals called Garluses. He didn't really want to make Pandoria upset so the bunnits were out of the question…he couldn't even hurt their cute faces if he wanted to.

"What are you staring at that rabbit for?" The Blade asked, shocking Zeke a bit from his flashbacks.

"Ah!" Her touch still made him a little jumpy, but he was starting to get used to it. "Oh uh…the bunnits…I was just recalling how my father would always make me prepare them for a supper meal…he thought it would toughen me up…make me a real man!"

"You…don't sound like you enjoyed it very much." She pouted, holding her crystal softly.

"No. All life is precious. I mean, a man enjoys his meat but there's a certain limit to what you should do. Y'know what I'm saying?"

"I think so." She agreed, watching him place his hand on his left bicep. She followed his action, matching perfectly with his pose. He chuckled, "You're so cute when you do that."

"R…really?" She felt her cheeks flush over a bit with heat, and giggled.

"Of course! The prince could never lie!" He pointed into the distance, mouth agape for a moment. "There we go!"

"What?" She squinted, trying to see what he was looking at, placing her hand to her forehead and lifting her body onto her tip-toes. It came into clear vision when he scooted her shoulders over a bit. Three Volfs, assaulting a merchant who was trying to bring some valuables into the royal city. "That's our chance to show off what we've got! What…what do we got Pandoria?"

"Well…" She concentrated, and from her hands a cloud of lighting appeared. It formed into a buster sword, broad and wide with intricate blue details upon its metal. Zeke's eyes sparked at the sight, rubbing his hands together greedily. He reached for it, and tugged gently at it. "Gimme!"

His whole body froze over as the snow dide upon seeing that he had grabbed only the handle, which had detached from the sword itself. "What in blazes?" He inspected it closely, it looked like a baton almost…

"That's mine!" She squeaked, grabbing it back and placing it back into the blade. "Be more careful!"

"I'm sorry…" He muttered, holding it now tightly in his grasp after she handed it to him softly. He could feel the raw power flowing within it, through his arm, to his heart. He could almost see the connection, the string of fate that connected him to his Blade. "This…is amazing…"

"Thanks I try!" She snickered. "Now come on, let's stop yucking around and get to fighting!"

"Right!" He nodded. They flew to the assistance of the merchant who was trying to fend for himself with just a frying pan. "Go man!" Zeke told while he burst into the scene, "Find a place to hide! We'll take care of this!"

The man did as they asked, swiftly moving himself and his merchandise to a safer spot. Zeke found himself fumbling a bit. He managed to dodge the first leap from the furry beast, but dropped his sword while trying to roll. The baton remained in his hand, and he used it to smack one of them from his body. Pandoria gasped, and came in to help stop the next bite. When the beast tried to chomp down on her, it caught her tail. She yelped, and the monster was electrocuted, promptly running away yelping.

She huffed as she returned the blade once more to its base. "Come on, this isn't that hard!"

"How do you know how to do this?" Zeke begged as she punched one of the canines in the jaw.

"I just do!" She held her hands out to him, "Now use my strength! Go!"

He felt an instinctive rush kick in, and his hands grasped his sword tightly. He thrust sharply with it, and a jet of lighting poured from it, knocking the beast back and leaving its fur crispy. It ran off as well. Zeke stared at his hand, awed by the power of that move. "Woah."

"I call that one Statospheric Thunderbeam!" She adjusted her glasses and smirked but then her feisty expression became that of fear, "Look out!"

The beast was in the air, leaping towards him. Zeke only had to push his blade up, leaving the creature spinning in the air. With one swift move, he slammed his blade into the spine of it. It was now motionless upon the ground. He panted softly, but shook his head. "Dammit…I…didn't want to kill any of them."

The merchant emerged from his hiding location, panting. "Thank you…but who are you?"

"I am Zeke! Prince of Tantal!" He posed triumphantely, trying to recover from his fight. He threw his arms towards his Blade proudly, "And this is Pandoria, my Blade! Please, enter the kingdom and know you are safe good sir!"

The man looked astonished. "T…thank you your majesty!" He sheepishly took his things and hurriedly took his leave.

Zeke huffed, crossing his arms. "I do not need such formal names!"

"Speaking of which…I'm tired of you calling me Pandoria all the time!" She placed her hands upon her hips, "What about something else?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean a good nickname! Like SparkyPants! Or…Lightning Chick…or…" She trailed off.

For a moment the prince thought, trying to form clever names in his head. But it struck him, clear as a day and hard as a bolt of lightning. "Pandy."

"What?" She almost recoiled back at the sound of his genuine care, feeling flustered once more.

"When it's just you and me…I know what I will do. I'll call you Pandy. Is…that okay?"

She stared at his eyes, his soft hair, his chiseled form. This young prince…he was starting to win her heart almost. Pandoria gave a wide grin and sniffed, "Aw shucks…I guess so."

"Well alright then. Come on. Let's head on home."

He started to head towards the castle, but found his hand was soon enveloped by hers. He held her fingers tight, and led her back towards their home.


	3. Celebrations

It had been a few months since learning the raw power of Pandoria's electricity. Zeke often practiced with her in the courtyard, day or night. He was a spectacle among his people…even if he was a bit clumsy at first. Balancing the sword upon his back was one of the first things he tried to do. Often times he would adjust it frequently to redistribute the weight.

Pandoria had certain power over her weapon as well, and that would be part of every training session. At first the attempts almost seemed dangerous. Handing it over to her would take far too long in the heat of battle. They had agreed for Zeke to toss it to her, which ended usually with her dodging the tip of the blade while it sunk into frozen ground.

But there was a trust that built up after a few times, and Pandoria reached her hand now triumphantly in the air, catching the hilt without hesitation. The small crowd watching them applauded, she took a swift bow and then sunk the sword into the ground. She released the hilt, turning it into her baton, swirling it a few times before unleashing a mighty storm onto a innocent bystander snowman. Its form quickly melted under the force.

The next morning, stiff and sore from the accomplishments, Zeke was roused once more by Pandoria's tight grasp to his arm. She had snuggled alongside him in the dead of sleep, like most nights. He gently touched her face, not shrouded by the cover of her glasses and brushed a few of her bangs away.

She stirred gently just as Zeke had time to process what was coming up. He gulped softly as she gave him a gentle gaze before placing her spectacles back on. "Good morning my Prince…" She told a bit embarrassed that she had once again been at his side in slumber, "Sorry about that…"

"It's alright. I don't mind. The company is enjoyable." He chuckled, "Boy do I have a treat for you!"

"Why's that?" She asked, stretching with a yawn as her tail twitched awake. She placed her hat back upon her head, and the moment it touched her it lit up brilliantly.

Zeke quickly changed in an area of privacy and cleared his throat, posing slightly as he stepped back out, "It's nearly been a year since we've been together as Blade and Driver. I thought that we could do something fun to celebrate! No training, no fighting, no running errands for that stubborn mess of a father I have."

It was true…while Pandoria was around the Emperor was using his power a bit…selfishly. He tended to have Zeke run commoner's errands, while Pandoria tended to Genbu's movements in the cloud sea. It was almost as if he was trying to separate them at times.

The Blade perked up slightly at the news and beamed, "Really? What's the plan?"

Zeke held up a finger, "Give me a moment!" He turned around dramatically and started to rummage through his closet. He tugged out two long fishing poles, with tangled wire and hooks digging into the fabric of his clothing.

Pandy blinked her bright emerald eyes at them, and placed her hands offensively upon her hips. "Fishing? Really? THAT'S how we celebrate our anniversary!?"

Zeke felt his face suddent become hot with shame, and sweat line the back of his neck. "W…Well I just…"

She snatched a pole away and huffed as she started to untangle the wire. But a smile eventually found its way to her face, "How did you know I love fishing?"

"Ah!" He felt relieve flood over him, "Lucky guess I suppose."

"You lucky?"

"With you around…I sure feel like it!" He puffed out his chest.

She shook her head, "That was extremely cheesy my Prince."

It took a bit of maneuvering as the two made their way from the highest point of Tantal to its lowest point, where the castle's rocky base sat in the center of a mostly frozen lake. It was the start of spring, although difficult to tell with the still icy landscape. But the temperature was warmer and the water was slightly exposed.

Zeke huffed as he pulled out a wooden boat, throwing it onto the shore of the lake. "Go ahead, I'll jump in afterward."

Pandy glanced at the flimsy looking thing, and could only picture what might happen next. "Maybe you should get in first…I feel like you would just fall flat into the water and freeze to death."

"Maybe so…" He shrugged, taking her suggestion. Surprisingly she was strong enough to shove the boat onto the open water and leap inside, landing with it shaking just a bit. "Pretty sturdy! Did you make this?'

"Yeah, a little while ago actually. If there's one good thing my old man taught me it was how to do stuff like this. We used to fish when I was little. I thought at least for my big 17th coming up he would have offered to do something at least."

Pandoria pouted, "What's his problem anyway? He seems grumpy?"

Zeke sighed, getting the first pole situated. He strung together the hook, placing a wiggling grub on the end and handed it to her, "He's scorned…mother died just a few years ago to an illness. And because of our relationship with other countries, we weren't able to get a cure and the rest is history." He sighed, "I miss her terribly."

She held his arm softly while she grabbed the fishing pole, "I'm sorry Zeke."

"It's okay. These things happen." He fashioned his own rod together and tossed his hook into the water. They sat for a while in silence, back to back. Pandoria began to feel chilled from the winds, so the prince promptly threw a fluffy wool blanket over her shoulders. She caught her first fish, celebrating wildly.

Zeke didn't. He sighed, crossing his arms with the pole between his knees and started to doze off. Pandoria pouted, knowing he wasn't really having much luck getting a fish to bite. She carefully moved her tail into the water, and produced a small amount of shock. A few fish floated up onto the surface and with a swiftness she hooked one onto the end of his rod.

She gasped and shook him awake, pulling it from the water, "Look my Prince! You caught one!"

'Wuh?" He jolted awake, staring at the large bass on the end of his string, "Yes! The Zekenator will not go hungry this day!" He pulled it back in, cocking an eyebrow, "Although…do you smell something delicious?"

She gulped slightly as she hid away some of the other fish she had zapped. "Uh…must be you imagining how tasty these are gonna be!"

"Right!" He chuckled, "Well I think that's good enough for today! Let's haul these puppies back ashore."

She saluted, "Aye-aye my captain Prince!"

As they returned to the castle kitchen, Zeke glanced at a few non-perishible ingredients he had left out earlier that day. A hand found its way to his forehead, "Oh by the Titans!'

Pandoria was startled by the sound he made and leapt back slightly as she placed the fish into the sink to be washed. "What's wrong? Did we forget something at the lake?"

Zeke shook his head, "No, not at all. It's actually a tad bit embarrassing." He turned to her and sighed, "Might as well spit it out. I was going to bake you a cake, but I forgot about it entirely."

She giggled slightly with a shrug, "It's okay. We can just do it together!"

"Jolly brilliant!" He held up a fist, and she did so too, the two bumping it togeteher, "I can see your brightness comes from more than just your attire."

The prince gave a small chuckle, "Alright! Let's do this!"

"Right!"

The baking was a complete disaster. Zeke knocked most of the pots and pans free from their holding spots in the shelves. Pandoria attempted to carry the eggs over and dropped two upon the floor. Flour was spilt upon counters, Blade and Driver alike. The over did not want to cooperate with heating.

But somehow, between them, a lovely and moist chocolate cake from oven. Pandy whipped up a quick and simple icing, and the two spread it together along the surface in crudely drawn patterns. Finally, dirtied and exhausted, they sat down to a fish meal prepared by the royal chef. For desert the cake was presented. Pandoria held up a finger, shaking her head before Zeke started to cut it. Curious, he held back and waited for her.

She found a few candles, and placed them into the surface. The prince choked back tears as she carefully lit them aflame, the glow reflecting upon her spectacles. She hummed a little song for him, and he began to sob softly. She placed her hand on his back, "Happy birthday Zeke."

"T…Thank you Pandy." He muttered, wiping away tears on her petticoat. She pat his head, and helped him to make the first slice.


	4. Exile

Upon the day after Zeke's 18th year, he wasn't exactly planning on spending it being chased down by Tirkins, especially Tirkins riding caterpiles. The beasts squawked and sunk bows and arrows around his feet as he bolted off with Pandoria close by. The two had just been exploring the ruins of old castles that were scattered about the different varying layers of the inner Genbu. What seemed abandoned hadn't, and after the prince had failed to sweet-talk them, they tried to fight. But they had simply overpowered them…deciding that it wasn't the best day to say hello to the Architect Zeke ran off with Pandy in hand.

The Tirkins were extremely persistant, and followed his tail end all the way until the kingdom's doorstep, citizens yelling as some entered the town square. Zeke stopped running, and breathlessly took out his weapon which he still had not quite named yet (and Pandy proclaimed she was bad at coming up with those sorts of things). He wobblily pointed the tip towards one, but stopped dead in his tracks as the foreboding shadow of his father stepped before him.

"You are incapable of doing anything correctly…" Eulogimenos grumbled fiercely under his breath, and unveiled their family's regal sword. It was one of the few weapons in Alrest that was not already attached to a Blade itself, and with one epic swoop the king cut down the Tirkin from its steed. One approached the ruler from a blind spot, but he was far too fast. The Tirkin holding a spear who tried to ambush Eulo was cut in half, each piece of it bleeding onto the ground before vanishing into ashes.

Zeke found himself cowering almost before the raw power of his father's strength. The rest of the enemie's party fled at an instant and the king returned his swords to their sheaths. He gave a brisk, sharp turn and his eyes met his son's.

The prince felt frozen to the ground, his knees locked and his hands barely holding the hilt of his sword. The king did not even stop to consider the arrow stuck in his son's leg, nor the scratches and wounds coating his body. He added insult by drawing back his hand and slapping Zeke with a loud, echoing noise.

Pandoria's eyes widened, but she was too afraid to speak up. She didn't want to see her prince get hurt any more than he was…and each time his father rose a hand to his son she had to watch. It was more often than she had hoped.

"This is…the third time in a month that you have cost us for your digressions. It will take weeks to clean this up, and even longer to pay off the funds for the damage those insolent creatures caused us!"

Zeke said nothing, but held his cheek where his father's hand had landed. He glanced over, looking as he saw that market stalls had been plundered, leaving precious items scattered all over the place. Doors had been smashed into upon homes and even some stairs had been broken as well.

"And then you have the gall to tell me that your vision is getting blurry. Our line has never had any issue with our eyes. Unless that thing…" He snarled towards Pandoria who gave a offended gaze, "Is starting to make them worse for you?"

Zeke finally broke, trying not to raise his voice too much as he retaliated against his father, "Her name is Pandoria! She is a jewel to this country, and if you had any kingly spirit in you, you would realize that she is fierce and important to you and your broken relationships with the other kingdoms!"

The king gazed at him with disdain. For a moment, he remained silent, eyes blazing with rage. He took a deep, mournful sigh. "As soon as Genbu surface, take everything you can with you on your person and leave my kingdom. You are no longer welcome here my son."

Pandoria could feel Zeke's heart throb and break in two just by his stance alone. "But…father…this was just a simple mistake…I can work to fix it!"

"No Zeke! You do not understand! The things you have done to our kingdom are not things a prince should ever do! Trying to be a mercenary…pathetic! Nearly destroying your own hometown to run for shelter from those you bring back with you…several times! Blantently disobeying my orders to help with Genbu, not tending to the ether as instructed, not providing for your kingdom! And then, I find you and your Blade sharing intimate space together?"

The prince recalled the memory all too well of the day his father intruded his privacy to witness him holding Pandoria in slumber.

The Blade held her core crystal tight and pouted, "That…was my fault…I shouldn't have…"

"This does not involve you Blade. What is a prince who does not even take on the name he was given?" The king snapped back to her. She reluctantly stepped back. The king coldly moved past his only son, shaking his head, "If you find a way to redeem yourself, I might consider returning you back to your position. But for now, I must rule the kingdom without you interfering."

The king left. Zeke slammed his fist onto the ground and Pandoria hovered over him, holding his shoulder. She touched him softly and he shook his head, "Well you know what? Good riddance! Some father you are!" He shouted after the king had already left. "Pandy, have Genbu surface now!"

"But my prince, it's the middle of the night…it would be dangerous to go out now! Let's just wait this out!"

He wanted so badly to demand they leave that instant, but the look that she was giving him in that moment was more than he could bear. "Fine…I guess we should start packing things up."

Sadly, and almost reluctantly the two gathered as much as they could. Zeke insisted they wear robes to hide themselves while they parted from the kingdom, and Pandy begrudgingly fitted an oversized jacket with a hood to cover her features. "It's a good thing we're pretty resourceful." He chuckled, trying to lighten the mood up.

"Yeah…we can hunt and fish and find good food. Maybe we'll be lucky and actually find a way to earn some cash?" She adjusted her glasses a bit, "Was what your dad said true? Are you really having a hard time seeing?"

"It's…getting perpetually worse." He admitted, "I should have mentioned it to you earlier. It's partially why it took me so long to realize we were being tracked down by those horrid birds."

"Oh my prince…I'm sorry. It probably is me then." She sat down next to him on the bed and held her cheeks with her elbows to her knees, slumping over. Zeke shook his head, "well if that's the worse of it, then I will take it for you!"

"Did you always have such crappy luck before too?"

"Uh…yeah. That was a thing before you even were an idea in the kingdom's history. It was fate. Da blamed me a lot for the death of ma."

"Zeke…" She came a little closer now, holding his arm softly. He took her into a small side-hug and sighed deeply. "Ah well! I always did want an excuse to get out of this wretched place. I'm ready to see the world!"

Pandoria gave a tiny, but sad smile at his sudden optimism. She knew even with the confidence in his face, he was hurting deep down. "You know, you don't always have to act like a tough guy around me."

"Well frankly Pandy, I don't do it just for you. I do it for myself…cause when I trick myself into looking on the brighter side well…then things don't seem as bleak." He stood up, holding the flimsy bag barely full on his back, "And you know what else?"

"What's that my prince?" She plucked her things up as well, gazing up at him.

He glanced back at her over his shoulder, "If you…really were the cause for me being exiled well then…that's just fine by me. You are worth it."

Pandoria could feel her heart fluttering now, her cheeks were washed with a red tint. "M…my prince…" She softly spoke, watching as he walked through the door of their room. Her hands were trembling, and her stomach felt tingly. With shaky legs, she followed him.

Genbu surfaced as opened his mouth to the world. Zeke stood next to a flimsy titan-powered ship that looked aged and worn down, Pandoria close by. As if they had practiced it several times, the two waved and gave one final confident pose together. The king said not a word, simply turning away once the two had boarded.

"Bah…who needs them?" Zeke muttered as he clunkily took the controls and the ship started to sail off into the waters of the Cloud Sea. "We can handle this on our own."

Pandoria sat, watching as the sun creeped into view and the endless sea glowed with the first few rays of its glory. She gave a small sigh, rummaging through their things. They had packed some non-perishable foods, a handful of clothing and a small amount of gold which might be enough for a few snacks if they were lucky to encounter another kingdom anytime soon.

As the prince of Tantal drove their ship away from the mainland, Genbu fell back into the ocean and disappeared. Pandoria felt a tugging within her as they went farther and farther from it. She tried not to focus on it too much, glancing around their tug boat of a titan ship. She hummed as she proded around a bit, bored by the extensive view of the clouds as afternoon rolled around. Something caught her eye at the feet of her prince. Underneath the controls, tucked away in the corner was a pile of collected hay. She cocked her head and went upon her hands and knees, moving to investigage.

Zeke glanced down at her and almost instantly felt his head snap back to watch the ocean…seeing Pandy in a compromising position was not what he had expected to witness at all, "What are you doing Pandy?"

"There's something down here!" She responded and reached for the hay. She felt something hard and hummed, pulling her enclosed fist out. Zeke stopped for a moment and glanced at it with her. She opened her palm and for a moment it seemed like it was a hollow green stone with a tortoise shell pattern. But then from the holes came a tiny fish-like tail, four legs and a head with beady black eyes.

"A…turtle?" Zeke asked with his heart swelling in joy. He absolutely adored the creatures, and his eyes almost seemed watery at this one.

"He's…so…adorable!" Pandoria nearly shrieked.

"But what in the world is he doing here?" Zeke cupped the creature, and instead of it going back into its shell the turtle just gazed into the prince's eyes. Upon meeting the black beads, Zeke felt his soul melt even more. "We…have to keep him!"

"Well, we do need a traveling buddy." Pandoria giggled, rubbing her face along his shell a bit.

"He will be our companion! Part of our trio of misfits! And we shall name him…" He held the turtle into the air a bit, letting the sun shine on him dramatically, "Turters!"

"Turters? Really? That's the first thing you came up with?" Pandoria asked, trying to hold back her laughter.

The prince posed with offense, "Well I'd like to see you come up with a better name…miss I can't name for shite!"

She scoffed, crossing her arms a bit but softened once the newly christened Turters was returned to her hand. She let him rest upon her folded clothes, and there he remained almost seeming placated by his new owners. Zeke took the wheel once more with a new hope radiating from his being, "With him by our side, nothing can stop us now!"

Pandoria pet their turtle mascot gently, watching as Zeke almost bounced with excitement while piloting the ship through the sea. She hoped that with time, the pain of his exile would fade and that their journeys together would prove to be fruitful.


	5. Enter Gormott

The shadow of a titan fell upon their boat, Zeke glanced up and Pandoria stuck her entire head out the window. "Woah…" She admired.

Gormott was as magnificent as the prince recalled it, a massive quadrupedal Titan with a long neck and massive front-forward facing curvy horns that was coated in grassy green life, surrounded by thick vines. It waded peacefully through the cloud sea, majestic and awe-inspiring.

"I've never seen anything so beautiful." She told, returning inside and shaking his arm a bit.

"Yeah it's quite the looker." Zeke said, moving his eyes from Pandoria to the living landmass.

She held her hands in front of her mouth with joy, bouncing slightly on her heels, "We're going there right?"

"Well I suppose we could for a while. Probably won't hurt." The prince muttered, but felt something crawling along his shirt top. His shoulders relaxed a bit, seeing Turters clinging to him. "See look at him! He's hungry."

"Alright…we shall do this then. For Turters!" He pronounced, grabbing the reigns of the Titan and sterring their little boat upwards. It squealed and followed orders, if a bit too quickly and they shot vertically up into the air, soon hovering over the massive body of the beast below them.

"What are you trying to do?" Pandoria asked as Gormott became smaller and smaller below them, "Launch us into orbit?"

"I'm trying!" Zeke yelped back helplessly, fiddling about with the bells and whistles at the helm.

Pandoria huffed, reaching over his shoulder and pulling down a handled lever. The ship stopped and she puffed out her chest triumphantly, "There! See it's not that hard!"

But just as she had finished her words, their ship began to plummet. It was going faster and faster down towards the solid ground, spinning. "We're gonna crash!" Zeke braced himself, holding tightly onto Turters in one hand, Pandoria's body in another.

Their ship slammed into the tail-end of Gormott, leaving an amalgamation of the previous traveling apparatus behind and an injured but living Titan who promptly escaped its previous shackles.

Zeke woke up, seeing a light glimmering down from the ceiling. He didn't feel any pain for a moment, nothing but warmth and the speckles of dust beginning to settle around his face. "Perhaps that killed me and now I'm with the Arcitect…"

But Pandoria squirmed in his grasp and Turters crawled his way on the prince's chest. Relieved that they were all safe and in one piece, he shut his eyes for a moment and breathed out.

His peace was quickly interrupted by a foreign voice. "Nap on my floor, will you?"

Zeke opened his eyes, noticing a green blob of fur standing at his left shoulder with big beady eyes wearing a black leather mechanic's outfit. No defining markings were placed on his body. Not much bigger than 2 feet tall and seemingly nothing but fur and perfectly rounded fat, Nopon were not an uncommon sight in Alrest. Pandoria however yelped, hugging tighter onto Zeke's slowly bruising ribs. "Ow…" He huffed.

"Crash Titan onto shipyard! Cause big big hole in celiemg then nap on floor! What sort of bum-bum you be?" The Nopon asked with an angered tone (if one could even take them a bit seriously).

"I apologize chap…the situation we had got a bit out of control."

He placed his nubby little hands on his hips while his wings pointed accusingly at Pandoria, "Blade too? Umon think he know way to fix mess."

She gasped, cowering a little. Zeke clutched onto her tightly and snarled protectively, "Pandoria is not for sale."

"Meh?" The Nopon apparently named Umon placed his wing by his mouth with confusion. "Would not ever dream of separating Blade from Driver! It is sin against Architect!"

Relief flooded the prince, but a piece of paper was soon flung into his face. "Umon require this much money for cost of repair!"

"What?" Zeke grasped it, eyes twitching as the zeroes began to add up.

"Pay back at leisure, but stuck here until you pay back Umon!" The nopon chuckled, "Maybe Umon feel generous to give you back ship."

"Seriously? But we invaded your property and destroyed some of your shop!" Pandoria said with a confused expression plastered upon her face.

The Nopon gave a shrug, "Umon is generous Nopon. Gormott is in good health, cannot waste time with counting curses. You seem like you run into bad bad luck to crash Titan so much."

Pandy couldn't help but giggle as Zeke groaned, the embarrassment was fuel enough to stand. But before he did, as he kneeled down he held out a hand, "You're a kind soul Umon. My name is Zeke. This is my companion Pandoria. We're…newly starting out adventurers. We appreciate your kindness."

"Greetings Zeek. Greetings Pandoria." He shook the former prince's hand with his wing and gave a big rustic Noponic smile. "If look for work, look to Torigoth. Lot of turmoil between residents and Mor Ardain at present…nobody talk to one another sometimes so nothing get done. Need outside force to spark movement at times! Lot of money for mercenary work…fix roofs…help lonely housewife to cook while husbandpons training for war." He chuckled at the notion, "But it seem like you already have good companion."

Zeke blushed and stammered a bit as his assumption while Pandoria gingerly placed her gloved fingers at her mouth, watching the prince get flustered. "You two mimic one another!" Umon told, "Good bond. Strong bond! You do good to get moneys!"

Umon promptly shoved them from his workshop, leaving them with a crudely drawn map of the area. "Well…guess we're stuck here for a while." Pandoria stated, intertwining her fingers just at the small of her back, glancing up at the glowing green and blue dorsal fin of the Gomotti beast.

The plains before them were vast, covered in greenery that immensely differed from Tantal's frozen innards. Trees grew thick nearby, vines shaping bridges between them almost. The Cloud sea seemed to rise and form around the abdomen of the Titan now, blocking the view of its long spindly legs as they trotted through the waters. Flora swelled in aromatic bunches.

The grass was so lush and beautiful, Pandoria stopped for a moment to take it all in. She found herself sitting on the ground and rolling in it for a moment while they began their travels. Zeke chuckled a this, letting Turters explore for a moment. She grasped onto their reptilian mascot, holding him against the clear blue sky while the morning sun's rays danced about his form. "This place is amazing! It's so warm here! And it smells so good!"

Zeke said nothing, but just watched his Blade enjoy herself as she went to go investigate some flowers. She plucked a purple one from the earth, handing it over to him to which he promptly stuck it in his hair. While they continued towards the thicker lower part of the beast not quite yet covered by the seas, the crown of flora slowly grew upon his head. Pandoria paused as they came upon a small gathering of water inside an enclosed tunnel, watching a few fish flit about inside the pond before they left. The providence before them seemed untouched by man or machine before them, the massive neck and head of the Titan overlooking a small town at the tip of its shoulder. With Blade by his side, Zeke took a few nervous steps towards the intimidating yet beautiful sight before them.

There were beasts like nothing they had ever seen that roamed upon the Titan's shoulder. Massive avians that protected their territory, bipedal reptilians that looked as if they were from another time period entirely, ghastly looking ape creatures that followed an over-sized leader. They paused their long journey if just for a moment to admire the splendor of a roaring waterfall that tumbled endlessly into the lake basin, connected to the town's main water source.

They returned back to a path, that seemed recently created from the earth itself. The first notable thing about Torigoth they approached upon were the massive hulking piles of lumber lingering about the entrance. A crane was moving slabs of wood and boxed items back and forth from the wall of the town. A slope welcomed them to the arch that was the gateway of the blooming city. A faded cobblestone lined the city's ground, with houses and shops dotting its main street. A large fountain pronounced itself before the town cut off into its residential district where Titan ships moved in and out from. But the touch of the empire had started to spread, a large warship reared its ugly head in the distance, a base was being formed while the solidiers protected its creation. A few of the citizens were protesting, while others went about their business trying to live normal lives.

Pandoria hummed, noticing the cat-like ears of the Gormotti citizens. "I guess I haven't ever encountered anyone from this particular area…can they hear like that?"

"Yeah! Their ears are a lot more attuned to hearing things than regular people to be honest. You can watch sometimes, they'll move and flicker. A few of them even have fur actually too!"

"Woah…any reason why?"

"Some people think the descended from a race of tiger-like beasts that once roamed the lands here centuries when the Titan first emerged from the Cloud Sea. The information itself has been lost to time."

After inspecting the villagers, Pandoria made her way over to a market stall almost as if she was being lulled over by its trinkets. There were blade chips and accessories she was eying up and down, making mental notes of the prices in her head. Zeke was squinting as he paced up and down, noting where the food and drink services were located. Even as evening was starting to creep upon them the shopkeepers worked tirelessly as they talked to potential customers, argued prices and showed off new products. "Aha…" He noted, finding an accessory shop. The owner was a petite Gormotti woman, who glanced up at him with a wave, "Hello sir. How can I help you?"

"Uh…do you perform eye exams…to fit the contacts you have displayed there?"

"Hm?" The shopkeep cocked her head at the case in question and snapped, "Yes we do! It's been a while since there's been a request so let me get you set up here."

Pandoria lingered about, still enraptured by the sight of all sorts of new foods, drinks and cultural accessories. The Gormotti lady brought out a big chart with strangely shaped letters and an odd-looking machine that appeared to be an oversized eyemask with hundreds of different switches on its sides.

"Alright if you'll sit here and look through this thing here I will get you set up for a pair!"

The prince sighed, doing as she asked as he slipped into the seat and placed his chin on the rest so that the mask sat at the bridge of his nose. Pandoria snickered as she came back around. "Looking good my prince!"

"Be quiet!" He demanded, grumbling. He struggled through the exam, barely being able to tell what half the letters were. She flipped between lenses and strengths on the mask, asking number after number on which seemed better visually. Finally she let him rise, and nodded, "Well you definitely need some corrective eyewear."

"Hahah!" Pandoria teased, prodding his side with a finger.

"C…can we just stick to the contacts?"

"Sure! For an exam and both contacts, it would be roughly…7000 gold!"

Zeke felt himself freeze. He desperately inspected his pockets, his satchel. Pandoria did the same, they pooled their gold together and gulped.

"Uh…how much is a night at the inn?"

"About 300 gold per night."

"Is there food included?"

"Free breakfast!"

Zeke added up their cash, thinking things over. He had enough for barely one contact, and a night at the inn. He sighed, "I suppose I will only have the funds to buy one contact."

"Will do!" She saluted, and handed it to him, "You ever wear this before?"

"Never…" He muttered.

After painfully working through placing it in, the world seemed a lot clearer…on one side. Sulking, the prince dragged himself and Pandoria back to the inn, pouting. "Hang on…you go ahead and set the room up for tonight. I've gotta go do something."

Zeke questioned what exactly a Blade needed to do on their own, but shrugged, "Go right ahead."

Pandoria fled to the markets…she hadn't been completely honest with her Driver regarding their stash of money. She had brought extra, just as an emergency measure. But this was an emergency to her,,,her prince was sulking!

She couldn't afford a contact for him, however there was another accessory that she had spotted while browsing the stalls earlier. She purchased it and feverishly walked over to the café. She ordered two heaping plates of curry and rice, trying to balance one on the end of her tail while heading back into the inn.

She slammed through the door of their room, only to nearly drop the plates at the sight before her. Zeke was completely bare-chested, standing ruggedly nearby the bed as he was counting inventory of his clothing. He glanced over, noticing her frozen body and bright red cheeks, "You look tuckered out! What were you up to?" He smelled the wafting aroma of the food, and instantly salivated. They hadn't eaten since before the Titan ship crashed. "Well I'll be damned. You managed to snag up some food!"

"Y…yes my prince!" She tore herself away from the perfect vision before her, gulping down bottles of drool from witnessing the mighty tight upper body of her Driver. She set the plates down but then wagged her finger towards his nose. "And I got you a surprise!"

"What is it?"

"Close your eyes." She demanded. He sighed, sitting on the bed. For a moment he felt something wrap around his head, and then something leathery and thick cover his left eye.

"Alright open em up!"

Pandoria was holding a small hand-mirror when he opened his eyes…although now the left one was covered with a large black eyepatch. He posed his chin back and forth, touching its smooth surface. "I'll try to find someone to put something cool on it later…but for now it's what I got…"

"It's…perfect!" He posed dramatically as he stood, chuckling, "This is the exact kind of image that a wandering rouge, an exile of a kingdom should have! What a wonderful gift. Thank you Pandy."

"We could totally bullshit too and tell people it's because you have like this secret power hidden away."

"Ah!" He shook his fist happily, and punched his own palm. "Exactly! The shining eye of justice! I shall smite my enemies with you as my Blade, and the sword…the sword…"

"You still haven't come up with a name huh?"

"Well we have time. Maybe I will on one of my missions?" He shrugged. "Ah well, let's rest. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow, trying to find work and all."

"Got it." She agreed. There were two beds in their tiny room, sitting on either wall. Pandoria made a special spot for Turters on a pillow, and there the small creature rested soundly. She sat lonesome on the edge of one bed, before noticing Zeke pouting somewhat. "You're not going to take that off now are you?"

"Not on my life…" He tiredly muttered as he moved himself under the covers. She sighed deeply as he gave her a puppy-like stare. She stood up, moved over to his bed and snuggled with him under the covers after removing her hat and glasses. "If I kick you off I will laugh at you." She muttered, smelling his bare skin so close. She felt safe in his grasp.

"I probably will fall." He nodded, yawning. "Get some rest Pandy."

"Of course my prince."

Within a few moments, he fell asleep hard. She watched his body inhale and exhale, and placed a droopy ear next to his heart. She could feel it beating strongly in his chest, and clutched him closer. She shut her eyes, and dreamed sweet dreams.


	6. Salvaging

The morning after the arrival came with slogging and groaning. Zeke was bruised extensively along his ribs and back, trying to rub away the ache while Pandoria used a salve that smelled strongly of mint. She still was amazed by the sight of his bare skin, and feeling it with an ungloved hand was a strange but welcome experience. It radiated a warmth unlike any other, and his heart beat almost seemed to match hers sometimes.

Despite being short on cash, the inn offered a warm breakfast that included hot coffee with a variety of creamers and sweetening substances. Pandoria watched as her Driver scurried back and forth between the options, trying to balance the quality of the substance in his mug. By the time he was done, he had a heaping plate of eggs, bacon and a mug of overly creamy coffee. He sat down across from her in the small café, stretching. The sun had barely had time to arrive, leaving the air crisp and the village silent. The only thing the two could hear beyond the clinking of plates was the sound of the large windmill nearby creaking and moaning as it lazily spun about.

Pandoria chuckled, shaking her head at the sight of her prince before her. She had piled up the meat on her plate almost two inches thick. "I kind of hoped you were a black coffee kind of guy."

"Huh? Why do you say that?" He stared into the cup, watching the liquid swirl about as the sweet aroma wafted in his face with temptation.

"No reason! It's just the kind of air you flaunt around." She shrugged.

He threw his head back "I like my coffee how I like my women…creamy and sweet!"

Pandoria covered her core crystal defensive, "What is that supposed to mean?"

He chuckled, "Oh nothing you need to concern yourself with."

She huffed, crossing her arms before starting to chomp away at the piles of bacon, ham and steak she had before her. "My, my! A hearty appetite!'

"Gotta get the power from somewhere!" She managed to breathe out before starting to inhale her food once more.

"I always admired that kind of quality in a person."

She paused for a moment, "Really?"

"Well when you're royalty, you're expected to eat well. I always tended to defy my father in one way or another so I tended to sparingly eat…and when told to abscond my leftovers I usually offered it to one of the poorer servants or snuck it outside to feed a hungry animal. So take what you can, when you can! Never let it go." He daintily began to eat his own food, leaving Pandoria struck with sensation like never before. It felt like a tingling mixing in her stomach, and it made it hard to eat now. She was learning things about this man, this prince, this extreme goofball so often now…they were getting closer…the prospect really was starting to buzz deep in her soul.

She chewed thoughtfully, watching as a group of thuggish men walked into the café. They sat down quietly, and watched as Zeke stood up to examine some help wanted posters nearby. One of the men, a Gormotti with burly shoulders and dark furry skin slapped the Tantalese prince hard between the shoulders. Zeke huffed and glanced over, cocking an eyebrow, "Can I help you chap?"

"I should be asking you the same thing." He grunted, "What's a guy like you trying to find a job for?"

"Well why does anyone need any sort of job? To make money!"

"That your Blade?" He pointed his thumb towards Pandoria, who was finishing up her meal.

"Yes! Pandoria."

"Quite the looker. You're trying to look good for her huh?"

"What? My good man that's…"

The Gormotti man heartily laughed, "Aw come on, no need to be shy. Well lucky for you we're a group of local salvagers. We've been told there's a big haul starting to wash our way soon, the Titan's walking towards a big ol pile of cash money basically. We're looking for people to help us with the haul. Lots of good cash in it, guaranteed 1k just for signing up."

The prince sighed softly, placing his hand on his chin with thought as he closed his right eye. "I guess…salvaging does run in my veins. I'm a newbie myself…although my dad used to be a champion. Perhaps the talent comes with me."

"Hey it's always someone's first time!" The man encouraged. "By the by, the name's Helieous. Sorry for the late introduction, I get a bit overly enthused by the prospect of showing others the way of the Salvager." He crossed his arms, beaming with pride.

The former prince could tell there was a deep connection this man had with his hobby. "Well I can't say I blame you. If I had a hobby of my own, I'm sure I would be as happy to bring others into it as well."

"Alright! You can come say hi with the boys, mingle a bit…then we're out to sea. We've got plenty of spare gear so don't worry. But I will warn you, the area we're heading over does tend to have a bit of an…eel problem."

"Eels? Pah…I could eat those for breakfast. Eel is one of my favorite types of sushi!"

"Great! Come on I"ll introduce you!"

Pandoria sat next to her prince as Helieous introduced a few other Gormotti men, all of varying ages and backgrounds. They made small talk for a while, while eating the meal before them with gusto. After a few moments, the Empire's touch was brought into light.

"Damn those soldiers. So much noise…just to make that damn base." A younger man by the name of Kit grumbled, leaning over the table with disgust.

Helieous sighed deeply, taking a mighty swig of his coffee and shaking his head, "Aye…I guess we should consider ourselves lucky that they didn't come with guns blazing. The least the Emperor could do was to come here with a peaceful treaty."

"Are you talking about Mor Ardain?" Zeke mentioned, trying to connect the pieces together.

"Yes…damn country…" An older man by the name of Markus sneered. "They're starting to get desperate…trying to find land to send their people to. Just because they have the strongest military base in Alrest, they think they can just bully their way into our village."

"Have they hurt anyone yet?" The prince asked curiously.

"Well…no…" Markus retreated, "But they have weapons and that war ship! If they start to have words with Uraya…who knows what will become of us!"

Kit slammed his fist onto the table, making the glasses shake. His ears were completely flat against his head, "It's a lot better than the situation on Indoline…from the rumors I've heard they're scooping misplaced Gormotti from the streets and slapping them into this shitty tents…and my brother…they barely let him get a hold of a pen and paper to send me letters! If I was a richer man…I'd slap the piss out of that damn Amalthus myself."

Zeke had heard the name before, knowing he was the holy ruler of the prestigious Titan Indoline, occasionally they would have to send a shipment of unused core crystals to be purified by the man himself…but he had not seen his face. There had been a mixture of positive and negative rumors alongside snide comments but for now Zeke's opionion on the man was very neutral.

"What do you think about this all Zeke?"

"Ah I can't say…I would have to see where the other side was coming from. Have you ever tried to talk with a soldier from Mor Ardain?"

The group went silent, Zeke shrugged a bit. Pandoria watched him with awe, as he held out his hand, "You have a family right chap?"

"Well yes…" Markus nodded.

"And your wife was pregnant was she not Kit?"

"True…"

"Well…all of us are out for one thing…making money. To help us survive. To earn a fair wage…to buy things and support the ones we love. What if that is the case for a soldier, who cannot be with their families, who doesn't have the luxury of leaving their post?"

The three Gormotti men pondered this for a moment, all glancing amongst each other.

"See? Until you really get to know someone, you shouldn't be making assumptions. It's a bad habit to get into."

Helieous nodded, crossing his arms, "You're wise beyond your years boy."

"Where are you from exactly Zeke?" Kit asked curiously.

The former prince shrugged, "Oh…just a nobody drifting about on the Cloud Sea…never really had a place to call my own."

They dropped the subject hard, but Pandoria could feel the sadness in his voice. She held his shoulder softly, and he squeezed her hand, standing up. "Well. I feel like we're ready to take this challenge on. Come on men, let's go earn some cash!"

Zeke adjusted himself in the salvager's outfit, it was far too snug for his taste. The one he was handed clung tightly to his body…and he tried to ignore the constant giggling coming from his blade once he returned to his trope. There were a few stragglers coming in, picking salvaging gear up. He couldn't help but to notice a few Nopon bouncing about in strangely adorable gear.

"This is what we're mainly looking for here." Helieous placed an object into his palm.

"What are these?" He inspected the strange coil that had been handed to him. It was abnormally heavy, but bounced and wiggled easily in his grasp. It glittered with a dark sheen.

"Those are Obsidian Coils. Despite what we said about the empire, they are paying good money for these. They're used for repairs on Titan warships and the like. But it's not all for them either, our farmers have found good ways to use them in our pipes as well."

"Seems useful." He mentally took the image in his head of the objective, handing the coil back to the Gormotti man. The remaining party suited up, and started to line up at the docks.

Zeke wasn't a terrible swimmer, but he certainly was the best and gazing down into the thick of the Cloud Sea from this angle was a bit intimidating. He gulped down nervousness, glancing behind to Pandoria.

Helieous stepped in front of everyone, and cleared his throat, "Alright ladies and gentlemen, listen close because I am only gonna explain this once. Salvaging will only be for 30 minutes, you remain any longer in the Sea and you will start to feel its aftereffects. I've already shown you our prime objective, but any and all items are welcome for inspection. We are collecting and providing money from a pool so everyone will be getting a fair share, there is no reward for collecting more or less but try to work for your teammates! There is an emergency flare if you become compromised by weight, monsters or obsticles. In emergencies, the hookshot device doubles as a weapon and offers around 400 feet of wire. Got it?"

The collective bunch agreed. "Alright, go ahead and start the dive!"

A few of the more ambitious, seasoned salvagers went first. Zeke watched their movements carefully. He could feel Pandoria's eyes on the back of his neck.

She shouted, "Knock em dead Zeke!" while waving.

He let out a big bunch of air from his lungs, attempting to perform a fancy trick before leaping off the dock. It however backfired and he tripped, managing to fall directly on his stomach with a loud splash. The impact made him recoil, but he quickly gained focus and dove into the murky sea.

It was true, there was a strange bunch of ruins below them chock full of shiny coils. But a garden of eels, who stuck their heads from the sandy bottom of the sea were also there, eying the approaching salvagers.

He carefully planned his moves, going for the motherload. He was joined by a woman, and a Nopon, who fit as much of the items into their pouches. Zeke started to do the same, managing to grab and secure quite a few before feeling a tug on his leg. He turned around, yelping a bit as he felt his body get dragged away by a human-sized gaping eel.

Trying not to panic, he could feel the satchel given to him trying to float away. He desperately clutched onto it, but could not reach his hookshot then. The other salvagers were starting to become overcome by the eels themselves, fleeing back to the surface. He was dragged farther and farther from the Titan's body towards the surface of the water.

But something very unexpected happened. A lightbulb emerged from the surface, connected to wire. The fish ran into it, electrocuting its surface. But the current ran up to Zeke, shocking him hard too. The eel managed to let go, and a pair of tiny gloved hands grabbed Zeke's shoulders.

He emerged from the Cloud Sea, removing the Salvager's helmet. Pandoria was balancing herself on a makeshift raft, making sure there was enough room and surface tension for the two to sit on it together.

Zeke panted, holding his bag of salvaging goods close to his heart. "Wh…how?"

"You were taking far too long my prince! I was gonna come down there myself but I sensed you were being dragged away. The eel just happened to come with my reach so I did what I could best!" She spun her tail in her hand and sneered.

Zeke chuckled softly, "Seems I'm still getting used to that eyepatch of your.s You can't leave me to do anything by myself can you?"

"With your luck?" She flicked his forehead with her nails but then gave him a tiny embrace, "No way…"

"Thank you Pandy." He clutched her back and the two gazed at one another for a few moments. "Why don't we head back?" He aimed the hookshot up towards the dock, and grabbed onto her waist softly. The two were lifted back into the air, and onto solid ground.

Helieous and his crew instantly ran up to him, "Zeke! You okay buddy?"

'Yes! Thanks to my wonderful Blade here I was able to get out safely. Is everyone else okay?"

"It took a minute but yeah, we all got out safely." Markus noted as he glanced back at the other workers. While not as triumphant as before, the haul they gathered was a decent size. After taking it to an appraiser towards the gates of Mor Ardain's military base, Zeke was given a portion of their pool…enough for at least a month's worth of inn stays and food.

Kit gave his new friend a mighty handshake, "We'd love to have you again."

"I think I'll stick to dry land from now on. But thank you chaps. This was a welcome, and much needed experience."

"Well if you're ever around, don't be a stranger!" Markus chuckled, waving before parting ways.

Zeke proudly returned to Pandoria, who was glancing at the wanted posters. "Need some time?"

"Nah, I can manage another tomorrow. Might as well keep the flow moving!"

"What about this?" She pointed to two, "There's someone who needs help bringing in fish. And then there's mercenaries needed to help get rid of some pests for the upcoming crop season."

"Those both sound like viable options…Why don't we sign up tomorrow? I could use some much needed rest!"

"Alright my prince." She snickered a bit.

"What?" He asked, stepping back from her.

"You looked so stupid in that salvager's gear!"

"Shut your mouth." He stuck out his tongue and ruffled her hair, "You wouldn't have made it look any better!"

"I beg to differ!"

He refused to listen, turning around and strutting back to their room. "Hey! Don't you ignore me my prince! I'll convince you yet!"


	7. Purple Lightning Dreamsmasher

Almost a year seemed to fly by atop the shoulder of the Gormotti Titan. Zeke and Pandoria worked tirelessly to earn their money for the slow but steady repair of Umon's ship dock, even going as far as to assist him on some projects.

Pandoria had managed to finally find someone of artistic merit enough to carve a symbol into Zeke's eyepatch…a turtle in the likeliness of Genbu.

Word spread quickly regarding the heroic deeds of the Zekenator, as he was starting to call himself. People often whispered in the streets, trying to figure out what was behind his eyepatch. The idea of telling strangers it was to hide some sort of secret power worked out perfectly in their favor, many not deciding to even bother fighting him due to the possibility of being destroyed by some otherworldly force.

Little children would come up to him during the slower days, and ask to see his pet turtle in exchange for a small bit of coin. Zeke often showed them, only asking that they provide a scrap of food for the always hungry animal. Turters ate well those days.

Pandoria liked to hear about herself, the comments were very flattering and made her feel special. Knowing that she was the source of sword in question still made her giggle with joy when people noted how fiercely it glowed.

Zeke was still at a loss as to what he should name the blade, it had been with them for a long time now and still he had not christened it.

"I just don't get it!" He complained one evening while browsing through the local jobs. He pointed at one, what seemed like a very simple mission to fend off pests around the local farms. Pandoria nodded, but then cocked her head in confusion, "Don't get what my prince?"

"I'm having such a hard time trying to name this blasted sword of yours! You sure you never gave it a name?"

"If I did, I don't recall it all you dolt. Blades don't remember anything from their previous reincarnations…unless you're lucky enough to have it written down."

"And knowing the way my father likes to keep secrets, he probably threw any sort of information about you into the Cloud Sea." He sighed, shaking his head with disappointment. "It's bothering me so much Pandy…it's like there in my heart, screaming at me! If I could just pull it out of my chest I would!" He clenched his fist and put it to the skin over his heart, closing his eye with thought.

"Well don't give up! You'll figure it out soon. It's not like I'm going anywhere soon, hopefully." She shrugged and pulled his hand away from his chest. "Now come on, let's go get those armus away from the water supply and then we can go get a nice celebratory dinner!"

Zeke perked up, if just for a moment. This was to be the last night in Gormott. But after this, he wasn't sure where they wanted to go. He was curious as to looking into Mor Ardain to gain more knowledge regarding the stalemates and their properties, but Pandoria seemed attached to the ideas of going to the Leftherian islands or the Urayan titan for the pleasing aesthetic.

The task at hand was a relatively easy one, and would wrap up their due payments to Umon. Simply stated, they had to drive some wild Armu's away from the protected water supply that was going into the town. As the sun was beginning to set on the horizon, Pandoria rode atop one of the wild Armus while Zeke whistled and gently guided it to a safer location. "Well just one…didn't seem so bad!" She mentioned, stretching out on its back.

"Yeah seemed like a lot to pay for not much work involved." Zeke chuckled as he pet the nuzzle of the creature before him. It snorted slightly, giving him a lick that covered his entire backside. He shuddered and groaned, while his Blade snorted with laughter.

"You be quiet! You got the nice part of the job."

"Only because you insisted." She huffed, and posed delicately for a moment, "Does it make me look like a princess?"

"Darling, you always looked like Royalty to me."

She felt herself warm up, her stomach tingled at his voice…his compliment. She blinked at him a bit, fluttering her eyelashes before snapping out of it, adjusting her glasses to a strange sight before them.

Two men, both with Blades behind them were lashing away at the body of a fallen, injured Armu. The steed Pandoria was on backed away, and she gasped noticing a nearby one completely lifeless. It looked young. Zeke's voice failed him for a moment, only breathing deeply as he noticed the bodies become more prevalent.

The two men were coated in sweat and gore. They were not of Gormotti descent, just appearing as a regular human were. One of them was light-skinned, thick-bodied and had a scar running across his nose. The other was a darker skinned man, bald and skinny with a long beard. The two laughed as they prodded the beast on the ground with their weapons, making it yell into the air.

Zeke slammed his foot down and felt his anger boil over, "Stop doing that!"

The two glanced up. The skinny man gave a chuckle, "Oy! Lookie here! It's that Zekenator fellow."

"And his pretty little Blade!" The heavier man snorted, "She'd sell for a fine price…"

"Those Blades…they're not yours are they?" Zeke quickly darted his eye back to their partners, who almost seemed reluctant to support their Drivers. He had dealt with bandits only very recently, learning about how they were trying to pick off other Drivers to sell Blades that were attractive and powerful to a black market. The prince had solemnly vowed to stop that trade at all costs.

"what do you mean by that chap?"

"Yeah…we resonated with them…just like everyone else did!"

"Liars! You killed their Drivers and are using them as your own now! And torturing animals…"

"We're just doing a job…trying to get pay." The skinny man shrugged.

"You killed them!" Pandoria shouted.

The heafy man laughed, "How else you gonna get rid of a pest?"

Zeke clenched his teeth as they drew back to stick a spear in the animal's body one more time. He summoned Pandoria's sword and swiftly moved, blocking the hit just on time. "You will no longer harm these creatures! You will answer to justice!"

"Alright sport, you wanna play that game?" The bandit growled, moving to swipe at the prince. Zeke moved out of the way but was swiftly punched by the iron gloves of his other opponent square between the shoulders. "You're quick, but not quick enough."

"I'll show you quick!" Zeke tried not to aim for their vital organs while he produced a beam of fierce lighting, managing to scuff only the elbow of the skinnier man. He winced, holding his arm while the one holding the fists growled, moving in for a punch. Zeke managed to dodge the blow, but the Blade of the driver moved in, trying to swipe at him.

Pandoria huffed, moving in the way of the hit. She was slammed to the ground, pinned down by the hefty opponent. "Pandoria!" Zeke cried, growling. All bets were off, he had to do some damage.

With two hands on his hefty sword, he flung his arms forward leaving a remarkable wound on the Blade. It yelled in pain, holding its core crystal with one clawed hand, breathing heavily. It glanced up to Zeke, who assisted Pandoria back onto her feet, and drew back its palm…a strange glowing substance was leaking from the core. Within moments, the beast reverted back to the pyramid shaped cystal…and no longer glowed. The heavy man lost his gloves at an instant, and felt himself stumble, "You…monster…you killed him!"

"And it will happen to yours too if you don't leave this place!" Zeke was still enraged by their very presence, "Either move or answer to me and my blade,,,the Purple Lightning Dreamsmasher!"

"Alight! We'll leave! Damn…" The thin man waved, drawing his Blade back nervously. The two bandits swiftly grabbed their things and ran far off into the distance. Zeke winced, noticing finally a deep cut on near his abdomen.

Pandoria looked to him sadly, getting a rag and some salves from their traveling gear. "You're hurt!"

"No…don't help me. Help the Armu…" He motioned over to it with his head. She nodded and went to assist the beast, cleaning up its stab wounds as best as she could. "Sorry…" She whispered as she cauterized some of the deeper ones with small amounts of electricity.

Zeke glanced over to the core crystal, noticing the deep crack in its surface. He picked it up, and felt his heart become heavy.

"I think it will be okay…" Pandoria told as he came back, "It just needs some rest. They didn't hurt it as badly as I thought…" The beast they had recovered from around the town started to nudge at the fallen one, the two nuzzling softly for a moment. Zeke nodded with their reuniting, gazing at the field. There were three unmoving pack members.

"I suppose…it's the circle of life. They will be eaten by scavengers most likely and decompose here…feeding the Titan." He sat on the exposed root of a tree nearby, cradling the cystal in his palm.

"They shouldn't have been killed by those goons though…" Pandoria told him, starting to pat the wound down. He winced as she applied the salve, but soon her dainty hands felt warm after a while working to clean it off.

He hovered the object he had picked up in front of her. She blinked, and her ears almost drooped more than usual. "What…what happened to this Pandy?"

"It's…cracked…The Blade will never be able to reform again now."

"Cracked? Blades…can die?"

"All living things can die Zeke…" She told solemnly, holding pressure on the still bleeding cut as he huffed gently. "Even Blades. When they are cracked, the ether no longer is in circulation and so it just goes back into the world. So we can use it, so it can make new life…"

They looked at one another for a moment, the emerald glitter of her eyes caught his attention. She blushed a bit and pulled out a first aid kit that had materials to assist with stitching wounds. She thread the needle through the eye and buzzed his skin a bit with her power. "Owch!"

"You'll thank me! I deadened some of the nerves so it won't hurt as bad! They left a pretty deep mark, this is a lot cheaper than going to the doctor!" She huffed, pouting, "Just make sure to keep it clean…I don't want you to die of an infection."

"The Zekenator won't fall that easily." He glanced off for a moment, almost trying to avoid her puffy cheeks and cute angry stare.

For a moment he let her work, and then gave a long exhale. "What's wrong?" She asked, pausing her movements.

"It's just...I feel terrible. I just killed this innocent Blade."

"You were helping others out though. You saved lives."

"Still, justice should be able to be served regardless of loss of life. I hope I can forgive myself..."

The stars were out by the time Pandoria was finished stitching her Driver up. She used the lights from her body and hat to help seal the final parts as moon crept into view. "Do you get hurt like that too?"

"Yeah I've been cut before. Blades bleed a bit different color than humans though. I mean, we have beating hearts…working stomachs…makes sense for everything to pan out just like a humans. The only difference is we retain our ether forms once the Driver dies, we just kinda hibernate until the time comes again when we are reawakened…just no memories. So it's almost the same as dying…"

"What an odd cycle." He hummed in thought, gazing at her handiwork. It stung, but he was alive. "You're pretty good at that. Maybe you should be my personal nurse!"

"No sir, you're still getting some medicine before we go."

"Perhaps there will be some in Uraya?"

She perked up, the lights on her body almost becoming brighter as a large smile overcame her face, "You mean…?"

"Darling! Let's go to Uraya together! A nice little vacation, just for us!"

They returned to the village, gathered all of their things into their bags once more, made sure Turters was safely in his usual spot. The two dropped off their parchment with the farms, who paid them a fair share and without saying any more farewells, the two darted into the night as quickly as possible.

Umon was astounded when he saw that they had the entirety of his final payments in hand. He blinked and took the money without question. "Wel…friends are free to go now. But it middle of night! You want to travel to Uraya now?"

"I can handle it, it won't be my first time on the Cloud Sea!"

"Uraya Titan close by, friends might get lucky to see Titan surface. Luck be with you. Titan ship waiting by dock."

"Thanks Chap!" Zeke told proudly, waving.

Pandoria pat the nopon on his fuzzy round head and gave him a tiny hug, "I'll miss you little guy!"

"Friends always welcome to Gormott." He told with a giggly tone, waving his hand-like wings to them as they sailed off into the ocean.

"Wow…we're finally out of there." Pandoria told as they started to head towards the direction given to them.

"It was a fun place, but I'm glad we can travel again. I hope this is a nice, relaxing spot for us."

She sighed, sitting atop the console next to him. He chuckled as she took his cheeks in her hand, squishing them together. "I guess we can go to Mor Ardain next."

"Alright." He muttered between the squishing, removing her hand. For a moment, they gazed at one another. He drew her fingers in, placing his lips atop them. Her face became three shades redder, almost drawing back her hand instantly. She giggled and rubbed the back of her head for a moment before leaning back towards him. "I…had a really great time there. I'm proud of you."

"And I you as well…" He found himself at a loss of words as he stared at her face, the closeness of it. For a moment, he had to remind himself how to breathe. She leaned in to his face and pressed her lips to his cheek.

Zeke gulped hard, holding the area as it buzzed and he felt the lingering of electric energy running through his skin. He smiled gently and helped her down from her spot, "Why don't you and Turters tuck in for the night? I'll get us there. Promise."

"I believe you, my prince." Pandoria nestled herself in the back seat of the ship, making sure Turters was on his 'special pillow'. Within moments of her taking her glasses off, her eyes were sealed tightly and she was lightly snoring away. Zeke admired her form, and took the wheel with determination.


	8. Uraya

The way to Uraya wasn't far, and the traveling only took a day upon the Cloud Sea. Pandoria was awash with shock, stumbling with the unsettling amount of energy flowing through the ether.

Zeke noticed this and turned completely around to see her, staring down into the ocean with observant eyes. Her shiny green orbs met his stance and she blushed a bit at his protective voice, "Pandoria? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine my prince…but such a disturbance in the ether…we must be close to the Titan?"

"Yes. It's a bit rare that Uraya actually surfaces, but according to my sources it should be emerging any moment now. Underneath us, swimming daintily yet powerfully is a whale of a Titan, beautiful and awe-inspiring! You're going to love it, I just know it."

"You know whales aren't fish right?"

Zeke gulped hard, he had mistakenly made the connection a few weeks ago, much to the disdain of his ichthyologist Blade. She, understandably, was not pleased knowing her prince was unable to distinguish a fish from a mammal.

"Right! Of course, but in the end they are Titans!" He nervously beat around the conversation at hand, and snapped his head back to the front. For a moment it was quiet, besides the tiny munching of Turters upon a sliver of lettuce. But the sea before them started to swell, and the sounds of splashing were beginning to form.

Arising from the waters was the massive form of Uraya, a creature like no other. Pandoria could not seem to close her mouth as it emerged, its snout shooting straight into the air and its underbelly exposed. Their small boat rocked violently in the aftershock of its breaching, and finally the whale Titan rested upon the surface, taking deep otherworldly breaths…each one sounded like a hurricane and blew into the sky with extreme force. The massive wing-like structures upon its shoulders were slowly moving up and down, pulsating with ether. A few spare ships were at its mouth, and Zeke spotted them for a second just as its jowls were opening. "Alright! That's how we get in. Let's move it, hold tight!"

"Yes, my prince!" Pandoria grabbed Turters, holding him protectively to her chest and clutched tightly onto the seat. Zeke made their ship sail as fast as he could. He slipped into the line of other cargo, managing to avoid suspicion. He sneaked into the shadows of the dark, rocky shore and the two leaped onto it.

Pandoria gazed around curiously, the entirety of the inside of this Titan was blue and dark, the only source of light available was the faint glow of ether veins barely emerging from the innards of the Titan.

"There looks to be a tunnel up there…" Zeke mentioned, and if it hadn't been for the soft glow coming from her light fixtures, the prince would have been completely invisible to her. Once the refugees were escorted inside by a few locals, Zeke waved his hand along.

"Why don't we just say we're here?"

"They might think we're bandits! Besides, until we find a town I am just a tad bit weary about our position here."

Shrugging off his logic, Pandoria followed him into a more open room. There was a dim light coming from the back wall, and a few vines to climb nearby. Zeke grimaced as a few lizards scuttled over his feet, while his Blade snickered at his jumpiness. She was almost instantly silenced by the stretched fleshy lattice that produced a tiny amount of pink light from underneath. She experimentally stepped on it, it was spongy but seemed to hold weight. She stepped on it and hummed, "I thought this would squish a lot more."

Zeke chuckled, "You don't seem to be weirded out by this at all. Being inside a Titan and all?"

"Yeah, no. Genbu wasn't this fleshy though…"

"It's because his insides have frozen over…"

She stared at the nearby vines, clutching them hard. As she climbed alongside her Driver, she panted and paused for a moment, "Do you think…Genbu…was ever this lush?"

"It's…hard to say…" Zeke mumbled as they came to the edge, sitting upon the solid ground for a few seconds before standing. There was yet another tunnel, this one instead warm and inviting. "This Titan, I believe, is newer in the grand spectrum of things. It's still growing and forming, that's why it seems so snug at certain points. Genbu is old, ancient even…not to mention the ether flow isn't as strong as it used to be. I do think he was once a mighty force of trees and forests, but now it's all snow."

They moved through the tunnel cautiously, wincing a bit as a bright light enveloped their vision. After it had passed, the two stood at the grassy entrance of the mountainous, rocky passageway. The roof above them seemed to be the translucent hide of the Titan. Nearby there was a stone bridge overpass. Mindlessly walking, the prince took in the scenery, "Well now that we have a bit more light, it should be easier to travel right!"

Pandoria clutched the scruff of his outfit tightly, pulling him back. Zeke finally noticed that his foot wasn't about to hit the ground. Instead he was on the verge of entering a semi-circular pit, where a waterfall collected into a massive pool and shore at the bottom. "Ah!" He moved back, and sighed, "Thank you Pandy, you once again saved my skin."

"You're lucky I'm here!"

"I truly am." He chuckled, watching her reaction as they walked in unison along the cliff edge. "You're so cute when you get all nervous."

"You're doing it on purpose!" She lightly shoved him, and he pretended to stumble towards the hole once again. She crossed her arms, "I'll let you fall this time."

Zeke only returned her threat with his charismatic smile, and she felt like putty in his hands. As they passed through, the other side became more and more clear. Spread before them was a makeshift village, but nobody was there to greet them. Some of the houses looked as if they had been there for ages, others looked new and hurriedly thrown together. Caravans and tents were placed about nicely, open markets where it looked like merchants would beg for business off the beaten path. Surrounding this quaint little town were ponds stacked upon ponds…rice flats, where sprouts of new crops were beginning to surface. A single, blooming tree looked upon the town protectively from its perch the top of a nearby incline. Its blossoms were pink and glowed with soft ether energy, making the area smell of spring. Commerce looked productive…if there were only people around to receive it.

"What in the world happened here?" Zeke pondered. "Seems like the whole village just scattered."

"Don't know but I'm kind of worried…" Pandoria clutched onto his arm. The two tip-toed around until they spotted something in a tent. They peeked inside, and lying on the ground was a Urayan native. He looked to be unconscious. "Pandy, give him a quick jolt…just don't hurt him."

"You got it." She knelt down next to the man and produced a small spark in her hands. She touched him gently, and he bolted awake. "Go! Run!" he yelled, but then relaxed upon seeing the two in front of him.

Pandoria was fascinated by him, he had dark skin and his hair was a strange shade of blue…but what was odd about him is that there were affixations to his skin that made it appear as if stone was jutting from them. He wore a protective armor, not of any shape or material they had been familiar with before.

"Wait…who are you people?"

"I'm Zeke von Genbu! This is my Blade, Pandoria."

"Von Genbu?" She snickered, "Where?"

"Hush!" He cleared his throat and turned to the Uryan man, "We were here to scope out a nice spot for a vacation, but we ran into you. And it seems like you're having a problem?"

"Our leader, Vandham went to a conference with Mor Ardain with the queen of the Titan. He's trying to convince them to continue the ceasefire…or it might even be the other way around. But regardless, when he left the Ignas managed to start spiriting away our villagers one by one…and then a whole bunch…even to the point of raiding us! They're going to be used as slaves to them to mine for precious gems and ether so that the damned beasts can be more powerful."

"Ignas you say? I've read about them…nasty things. Not exactly capable of speech, but they're sharp as a tack." Zeke pondered, placing his hand on his hip in thought. The evening sun was shining through the hide now, encapsulating everything before them in a warm light.

"We'll help you out." Pandoria translated for her prince, "What's your name?"

"I'm Geoross…I help out with mercenary missions. I tried to fend some of them off, but they knocked me out cold. Not really sure why they didn't take me…"

Zeke was a bit confused at this as well, "Perhaps they wanted a witness…and they're waiting for a challenge…"

"I'm not sure myself. But someone has to stay here, just in case those who escaped somehow come back…I know a few of the refugees holed up in the homes…"

"It's not a big deal, stay here and stay safe. Pandoria and I will go investigate this little pest problem of yours!" Zeke stuck his finger into the air, mimicked by his Blade in a victorious pose.

"Alright…the last place we witnessed the Ignas were towards the stomach area. I'll give you a map…" He produced one, handing it over to Zeke who simply just placed it into his bag. "We'll be fine chap! Don't worry, we can handle this!"

"We're lost aren't we?" Pandoria told, yawning a bit as they stopped, glancing at a vast lake beyond a wall of an overlook. Zeke was muttering to himself as he stared at the map, then to the area they were at. "I was…never very good at reading these things." He rubbed his eye, yawning loudly to the point of exposing all his molars.

Pandoria yawned as well, stretching as far as she could. "Maybe we should just call it a night, my prince?"

"Pandoria…no…the villagers…are in peril…"

"We're gonna be in peril if we don't get our rest. You can barely stand up straight…and I know how grumpy you get when you haven't gotten your royal rest."

"Bah!" He scoffed, but knew deep down she was right. He rubbed the back of his head, spotting a nearby enclosed cavern, "There…we can hunker down for a few hours but the minute the sun rises we are out of here!"

"Awesome." She sighed with relief. After being used to a bed for so long in an inn, the hard and rocky ground below them was a bit more than unwelcome. The temperature was even however, and there was no wind to chill them. But even with the blanket of furs Zeke spread out, they still tried their best to get comfortable. Zeke noticed Pandoria's face askew, her ears dropped, her tail flaccid…everything about her looked so upset. "Here." He opened his body up and faced the ceiling, spine flat on the ground. "Why don't you sleep on top of me tonight?"

"What?" She glanced back towards the cave entrance, almost as if she was worried someone would be watching them.

"Come on, then we can keep each other even more warm."

"You're such a…" She wanted to curse him, but only obeyed his suggestion and crawled atop him. In the years she had been next to him in rest, this was never an option that occurred to her. But now, laying atop her Driver, she could hear his heart beating softly and his lungs moving air in and out of his body. It was comforting in a way, she could almost feel the ether flow connecting them. After covering with a fur, she snuggled into his jacket and the two fell into a deep slumber.

Zeke woke up groggily, eyes starting to barely open. He saw a pair of scaly feet at his nose, and thought nothing of it first. Realizing what he had witnessed, he jolted awake, holding Pandoria close. She still awoke, yelping a bit at his sudden movement.

Ignas were surrounding them, they were anthropomorphic lizard fiends with scrappy clothing, wielding axes and clubs. They stared the two of them down, torches gripped tightly in some of their hands. Their tails were wagging, heads bobbing and tongues tasting the ether that was thick in the air. A few Gormotti and Uryan refugees were in chains behind them, whimpering softly. Unable to speak due to the bindings around their mouths, they simply gazed to Zeke and Pandoria with fear.

The sense of justice within the prince was wildly burning, as he stood up and unveiled his sword. A few of the Ignas stepped back, witnessing the might of the Purple Lightning Dreamsmasher. "Yes, be afraid! Be afraid of Zeke Von Genbu, Bringer of Chaos! I will smite anyone who stands in the way of justice!"

Pandoria rolled her eyes a bit, focusing her ether and provided power to him. He slammed his sword into the two standing nearby, throwing them down into the murky abyss of the overlook. Seeing the look of hope radiate from the captured villagers made his soul burn fiercer.

Zeke threw the sword back to Pandoria, who expertly landed a few blows to the stomachs of a few Ignas who were trying to protectively move around their captured horde.

Blow by blow, they knocked Ignas off cliffs and destroyed those who stood in their way. Before long, they had been defeated. Pandoria moved quickly to free the prisoners. The Gormotti woman inhaled sharply, "Thank you for saving us!"

"Where is everyone else?" Zeke demanded after sheathing his massive sword.

"Everyone…?" She watched as a few Nopon were freed from their shackles, and a handful of Uryans. "This is it."

"Oh by the Arcitect…the Ignas ate them all!" Zeke fell to his knees, grasping his hair, "I knew we should have kept searching! I failed you all!"

Pandoria mourned alongside her Driver, falling down as well, hanging her head low.

"Uh no…" A Nopon merchant stepped up to him, "Danger was always just with us. No other problem…who tell you of other captured?"

"A man by the name of Geoross…" Zeke tried to fight back the tears.

"Come come, show you truth." The Nopon merchant tugged his hand a bit with one of his free wings.

The freed company jointed them as they headed back to Garfront village. As if by a miracle, shops were open once more and mercenaries were flooding the grounds again. "But…" Zeke told, beyond himself with words, "I don't understand…"

"Yesterday big holiday in Fonsa Myma, big celebration for annual springtime festival. Everyone take lon rest, return home right on time!" The Nopon explained, chuckling a bit, "Geoross panic. Tell stranger there was big big danger when just little bit. Drivers should be more responsible with villagers though, me thinks!"

"Holiday…" Zeke felt foolish, his face becoming three different shades of red while he crossed his arms. Pandoria enjoyed seeing him so flustered, but mimicked his stance all the same. "Well I suppose we will go see what all the hullaballoo is about this Fonsa Myma city of yours."

"Friends should! Big city full of treasures and foods! Hoppyhoppy take journey to go there once per year, take week off work at shop. They have theater the size of Titan."

"A theater you say? I've heard of the idea myself, but I've never been to one myself." Zeke pondered. Pandoria thought alongside him, "I've heard they do plays there, where they act out historical events wearing fancy costumes, and have these fun props along with it."

"Sounds like a grand time." The prince nodded, "Uh perhaps we should have a guide though…"

"Hoppyhoppy could show friends way!" The Nopon bounced excitedly, "Start vacation early!"

"We've got a win-win situation on our hands!" Pandoria beamed.

"Least Hoppyhoppy can do for saving hide." The yellow well-dressed nopon bounced over to what the two assumed to be his family, giving a few of the smaller ones kisses and hugs before returning to them, "Family happy to see me take you. Let's go!"


	9. Confessions

Once they parted ways with the Nopon merchant, Pandoria and Zeke could only stare in amazement at the lively city before them. They stood at the gates, watching as the lives of citizens unfolded before them. Back and forth people argued over prices increasing at merchants stalls while others walked in and out of buildings with documents in hand. Soldiers stood protectively in front of a few headquarters while merchants invited newcomers to browse the exotic wears of the Titan.

Some refugees stood in a line, awaiting their share of food and money for the week. Despite the hardships, the soldiers handing out the food were very fair and polite. A few more thuggish men with Blades at their sides were smoking in the isolated corners of the town square. Stairs ascended up towards the capital's center, where the queen herself resided behind massive protected doors. The buildings were very quaint and held a certain folksy charm to them.

They ascended the first set of steps, gazing at the square below. Nearby an artist painted gracefully, trying to capture the massive beauty of the port, the swelling waters and the blooming saffronia trees. "I never really understood art…" Pandoria admitted, trying to watch the artist work, "It never really touched me that deeply. I hope that I like going to this theater."

"At least the art there is moving!" Zeke shrugged.

"You know what…it's gonna sound really silly." She placed her hands together in front of her stomach, moving her hips side to side.

"What is it?"

"My bag's so heavy because I brought a ton of books…and I've already gone through them. Some of them twice…" She blushed a bit, "I know it's suuppperr stereotypical. Chick with glasses likes to read. Har har har."

"I think it's very endearing." Zeke admitted, "I favor the texture of certain kind of clothing myself. I'm extremely fond of making things from fur myself, and silk! So there you have it!" He posed dramatically, gazing out to the distance. "I like that you read. I've seen you curled up with Turters, using the light of your body to turn page after page just before bedtime. It's…a welcome sight to return to after a long day of working hard."

"My prince…" Pandoria felt herself lost in his words, her lips quivering a bit trying to either smile or pout.

"Come on, let's go see what all the riff-raff about this theater is."

"We should try to eat first at least!" She placed her hands on her hips defensively, "Can't watch a play on an empty stomach now can we?"

"Alright fine!" He chuckled, throwing his hands up in the air. She did the same and the two chuckled at one another.

Not to the prince's surprise, Pandoria ordered a plate with a sandwich. Said sandwich was piled as high as it could with meat and cheese. Zeke regardless, ordered a salad. "Appetite's a bit low…" He admitted, he was beginning to feel nervous. For a while now, he caught himself staring more and more at Pandoria's dainty gloved fingers, wanting to intertwine them with his own. He felt compelled even to be as close to her as possible. He swallowed his food hard, finding his heart racing when she glanced up at him after taking a massive bite from her food. Seeing the way the meat was hanging from the bread and her teeth was more than adorable.

He shakily picked up his glass and gulped down his drink, but something went wrong. He caught her green eyes and began to cough violently. "My prince!" She darted up, slapping him between the shoulders. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"

"Went down the wrong pipe, that's all!" He dismissed, lightly swatting her away. She huffed, crossing her arms, "You worried me there!"

"It's alright! Nothing a good sink wash won't fix!"

He moseyed over to a more private area, trying to calm his rapidly beating heart. He sighed gently, clutching his fist. "I…I have to tell her…"

Just as if the Architect had answered his prayers, he overheard a conversation at a nearby table. Two girls were giggling softly, one showing off a ring. "So he finally told you huh?"

"Yeah! He brought me to the Saffronia tree by the lake and everything."

"How romantic! They say if you tell someone how you really feel under that tree, it's fate that you'll be happy together forever!"

"I sure hope so!"

As the two women laughed, Zeke felt his face change from creamy to ruby red within seconds, and a new determination welled up inside him. "That's it! I'll take Pandoria to the tree! Tonight, after the play is over! And I'll…tell her…" He gulped, nodding to himself, "You can do this Zeke! Do it for her!"

He moseyed back to the table with a strut of confidence, Pandoria cocked an eyebrow at him, "Well it looks like you had a good time in the bathroom…do anything unsightly?"

"Nothing of the sort!" He chuckled, not even letting her embarrassing joke upset him. He laughed louder and deeper than usual, and the Blade cocked her head.

"You're acting sort of strangely my prince."

"That seems to be a norm for me!" He pointed to the theater and held his Blade to his side, "Are you ready for an unforgettable night Pandy?"

She adjusted her glasses and smirked, "Of course!"

The play tickets were purchased, and within the hour the two sat in a crowded hall facing the tiny stage. Despite its size, the theater itself was organized and beautifully designed. The play involved telling of the Aegis, Adamm and the fall of the great continents.

During the halftime, while Pandoria was complimenting the set pieces she glanced to Zeke, "Were you around when all that happened?"

"No…why do you ask?"

"You just say all the time how you and your family were related to Adamm, you idolize the man so much one would assume you're in love with him." She chuckled, "I was just curious…to see something like that happen would be so…mind-blowing. It's a shame that Mor Ardain will soon collapse…that's gonna be in our lifetime I assume."

"Yeah…majestic but scary." Zeke pondered the reality, "And watching those people flee…that won't be a pretty sight."

"Well, it's not happening now." Pandoria shrugged, "Come on, let's finish this thing."

He gently slid his hand next to hers when they sat down, and she paused for a moment feeling his fingers. Carefully, and cautiously she interlaced their fingers together and rested her head upon her Drivers shoulders…barely able to watch the rest of the play without being distracted by the loud sound of his heartbeat.

The two walked outside, after a massive standing ovation, to the city lit up by the glow of ether blooms. The sky was dark, but flora glowed in lanterns and there was a shower of petals falling like rain in the air. Pandoria clutched the arm of her prince, who froze at her touch but still welcomed it.

The two walked up the stairs leading to the gates of the city, as Zeke tried to figure out a slick way to move towards the Saffronia tree across the lake. He spotted the Titan ships, then glanced at the water itself, face distant with thought. They continued to ascend until they stood at the very top of the city. Two massive intricately designed gate doors stood before them and a long line of stairs with chutes of water on either side descended below them.

Pandoria let go of her Driver for a moment to watch two children playing hopscotch. One of the parents had a Blade who was tossing a ball back and forth between the third child involved. She was fascinated by the whole thing, distracted by the fact that the child threw the ball far too hard and far too angled in her direction. Zeke panicked, only seeing the Blade's ball flying at her and for a moment thought she was being attacked.

"Pandoria!" He shouted, catching her in his arms as he leapt. But they leapt in the wrong direction, and started to slide along the water's current. Pandoria screamed, clutching his chest as they descended far too quickly for him to prepare to move away. The stairs ended, and the water stopped but fell into an abyss where the bridge had fallen into the lake below. "Hold on tightly!"

Their bodies flew into the air for a moment, and landed once more on yet another chute that continued to take them down. Soon the surface of the water was at eye-level, and then it was consumed by two massive cavern walls. They finally hit the end, flying into the semi-circular pond.

Pandoria sank in, holding her hands up to her Driver. Zeke chased after her, and caught her under the water. He spotted a nearby pocket for air, and the two gasped as they surfaced. They appeared to be in a chamber of sorts, surrounded by semi-circular walls lined with mosaic tiles. A ramp led them up onto the dry land, and welcoming to the area were two pillars of blue fire.

Zeke and Pandoria were stunned as a massive ether-heavy garden full of life before them stretched from one wall to another. Massive crystals jut out from the ground, and everything was organized and beautiful. A tunnel of trees opened up to ponds of water collected in heavily decorated pools. A few benches were also dotted around.

"This place is amazing…" Pandoria clutched close to her sopping wet Driver. He wrung a little of the water from his clothing before giving up, staring at the gardens before them.

"Impeccible…someone really built all this down here. I wonder why it's so well hidden."

"Nobody's here right now…hopefully it's not hard to get back out."

"Well…why don't we stay here for a moment?"

The two walked hand in hand moving around from sight to sight. Pandoria tried to touch a crystal, but almost became frozen with its excess ether energy. Zeke touched the soft textures of a strange plant covered in soft fuzzy silk. As night was born, the Driver took his Blade's hands in his own and looked straight into her eyes.

"Pandoria! I need to talk to you about something. And I think, this would be a good place to do so." They stood at the end of the garden, where all the splendor was visible. The blue flames flickered softly for a moment as Pandoria blinked, feeling herself a bit nervous at his tone. "Whatever you'd like my prince."

"We've…been partners for quite some time now eh?"

"Just about five years now…" Pandoria chuckled, trying to lighten the mood, "Nothing to sneeze at I guess."

"You…are quite a lovely Blade…no a lovely woman Pandoria."

She paused her smiling, and stared at him mesmerized. Her eyebrows lifted with surprise.

"You…just have a great smile. And a hearty appetite, a nice laugh and you're just so fun to be around. I am…just so happy you became my Blade and that…well…" He felt himself at a loss for words.

Pandoria jumped up, clutching his neck into a hug. The two embraced tightly for a moment, and Pandoria felt herself shaking. She placed her mouth next his ear, "I love you!"

Zeke gasped, feeling his heart nearly explode with emotion. He lifted her up into a tighter embrace, but was still gentle enough to caress her. "I…love you too Pandoria!" He felt tears sting the corners of his eye, as she lifted up his eyepatch to get a good look at him.

The two lovingly placed their foreheads together, both smiling endlessly. Zeke closed his eyes, and Pandoria welcomed his lips onto hers.

It tasted so welcoming, and warm after five years of waiting. His lips were soft, and his skin smelled sweet. Zeke could feel her ether flowing in her lips, the shock of it buzzing in his skull and through his teeth. His fingers had managed to caress her cheeks, her hands wrapped tightly around his abdomen. Even after the kiss, Zeke continued to place smooch after smooch all on her cheeks, forehead and neck as she giggled and squealed.

"I don't care if Indoline doesn't approve of Blades loving their Drivers." Zeke told softly, "From now on, I'll always be there for you."

"You were to begin with silly." She nuzzled his chest softly, beaming with joy.

They fell asleep eventually on the park bench, wrapped together tightly in a loving embrace both with wide grins slapped upon their faces.


	10. Power and Prejudice

When Zeke finally stirred awake from his sleep, he groggily felt around for his Blade. She wasn't there. His eye shot open, glancing around the enclosed garden. "Pandy?" He called out, with no answer.

There was no sign of her noticeable. He bolted from the bench and started to investigate while trying to keep himself calm.

He noticed her tail wiggling from a nearby corner. He cocked his head, trying to get a better look at where she was. He followed the soft glow of her body and found himself in a room nearby the entrance pond. It was secluded, the walls looking as if they were ancient.

She stood, her body seemed limp and shoulders dropped. She clutched at the side of her skirt, rubbing the fabric of it between her palms. Her noticed her tail twitching, and grabbed at it, wringing it slightly. She said nothing to Zeke, her eyes looked pained.

He stared at her, eyebrows crossed with confusion. Turters popped out from his pocket, and crawled from his arm to her shoulder as the two connected. "Pandy? What's wrong?"

"This wall…it crumbled away while you were sleeping but it woke me up. I went to go investigate it and…" She shakily pointed at the wall.

He squinted, trying to make out the shape. There were ancient drawings, detailed within them were the images of a lost civilization. From what it appeared as, it was once prosperous and flourishing…people were happy, crops grew and the land was fertile. But a powerful Driver awoke a Blade…a Blade that looked exactly like his own. And together they scoured the land, taking the prosperity for themselves. He used storms to bring chaos and mayhem to the people of the Titan.

The likeness of the painting to Pandoria was uncanny, Zeke found himself shivering.

"Zeke…" Pandy whimpered as she clutched Turters into her palms, "That…that was me. I don't remember it…but that was me!"

The prince stared at her, trying to think of something to say, "Pandoria…that could have been lifetimes ago."

"I hurt people! I might have killed people!" She stomped, holding herself tightly. "That's…I could never…"

Zeke pouted, and stepped closer. He parted her hair from her ears, and held her cheek. She glanced to him, her glasses nearly slipping from her nose. "Listen…Blades favor the Driver. If anyone with a shred of hatred in them would to resonate with a core crystal, the Blade inside…no matter what…would be just like them. But if a hero of justice were to awaken them, they could become a unstoppable force of good!"

She showed off a very small smile, but it was better than that sour frown. Pandoria touched his fingers with her free hand softly, "Zeke…"

"The you I know, the Pandoria I resonated with is a wonderful, kind and funny lady. I know you would never intentionally hurt someone. And the Pandoria standing here right now, that's the one I love." He pressed his lips to her forehead and the softness of his mouth made her melt again. She felt tears enter the corners of her eyes, and shoved her face into his chest. He clutched at her tightly, rubbing her back trying to provide even a sliver of comfort.

After her tears passed and she calmed down, Zeke posed towards the entrance of the secret gardens, "We probably should see what's going on top wise. I like this place as much as the next guy but, I need my sunshine too."

"Alright my prince…I'll miss this place though."

"We'll always come back here…if ever you need anything." He promised.

The two returned to the surface, quickly drying off as best as they could and found their way back into Fonsa Myma.

As Zeke passed a bulletin board, he paused for a moment and glanced at it once more. Among wanted signs and advertisements, there was a loud poster that showcased a grand ballroom. Pandoria leaned in and stared at it as well, squealing a bit. "Ahh! How romantic!"

"What? What is?" He nervously asked, trying to cover the words but she slapped his hand out of the way. She almost tore the paper off but instead pointed to it forcefully, "The Midsummer's Ball, held at the grand palace! The holy gates open and welcome visitors! I've always wanted to go to a dance, I've read so much about them. Watching women in beautiful uniform dance in their flowing silky dresses, while their strapping partners guide them along. So awesome…" She sighed romantically.

Zeke could feel the lump growing in his throat, staring at the price per person. They had saved up enough…but it was all they had.

"But…we don't have nice outfits do we?" She stared at their outlandish clothing and puffed her cheeks up with frustration.

"Well…if you want to go. We're gonna have to work for it. I can get the tickets now, no biggie but we'll need money to buy some fabric. I can sew you a wonderful dress!"

"You…could?" She cocked her head and shrugged, "Well I'm not gonna argue with that logic. Let's do this!"

So without stopping for three days straight the two took on missions many involving stopping illegal Blade and Core Crystal trade. Zeke was more than happy to assist in this matter, he was starting to grow a certain distaste for these bandits.

He was finishing up one of the final missions, ready to collect his pay as he stomped on a few of the makeshift tents they had placed up. The legal forces had come in to assist with the arrests of a few charred and nearly paralyzed bandits.

"Sir, can we have your name?" They asked.

"You may call me the Bringer of Chaos, the Shining Eye of Justice!" Zeke posed, and Pandy puffed out her chest and posed next to him, "Without the help of my beautiful Blade…Serenity I could have never done the job!"

The officer shook his hand and Pandoria snorted a bit with laughter as they left, "Really? Serenity? That's the best you could come up with?"

"What? I'm not good at these things!"

"Your name isn't even Zeke, you shouldn't worry. Nobody's gonna find out that you're a prince of a kingdom that likes to hide. Especially not here. Now if you were say…an official from Mor Ardain…then maybe that would be an issue." She shrugged.

"I suppose you're right."

After securing a safe room to sew in, Zeke bought the materials needed for the dresses and his own suit, and worked tirelessly into the next few days. Heavy bags started to set around his eye as he sewed, and cursed the machine and repaired it. Pandoria was starting to grow concern at her Driver, who refused to let her come into the hotel room while he worked. The prince only came out to eat or use the restroom, sneaking in a sly kiss and hug to her as he returned to his work.

Into the afternoon of the second day, he emerged and panted…looking almost as if he had triumphed over some difficult obstacle. "It's…finished." He wheezed, falling onto the floor and promptly falling asleep.

She dared not look into the closet, but instead tucked her prince under the covers of their bed curling up next to him. Turters' foot was what woke him up the next day, alongside the smell of brewing coffee. He wiped the drool from his cheek and coughed a bit before rising. Pandoria stepped up to him, and he nearly felt his breath leave him.

The dress he had fashioned mimicked her regular clothing, it was stylized ball gown, where the top was pin-striped with black and purple, exposing the length of her arms but covered her light-bulb like shoulders. It had a modest dip to the front, barely passing her neck, and the length of it was layer upon layer of purple, blue and pink in a circular poof around her. "Pandoria…it looks so lovely on you."

"You're the one that made it…" She blushed, smoothing out a few of the layers, "I didn't know you could even do stuff like this."

"Yeah! It's…a bit of a secret hobby." He admitted while placing Turters back into his spot safely. "My pa never really enjoyed the idea of me knowing how to fashion clothing…he told me it wasn't a very manly thing to do but I always snuck to the seamstress and she would teach me tips and tricks. Little did the old fart know I was making half of his pantaloons and most of them got torn!"

Pandoria snickered softly, and his heart felt full. "But what about your boutonniere? Don't you need one of those?"

"Nah. I'll be okay. If anything I can use Turters!" He took the suit out, and placed Turters on the front, posing him gently. The two laughed together and he stared at her for a moment. She looked down, making a soft pause at the face that her core crystal was covered up. The poofs of the shoulders also covered her glowing arm sockets, "Why this?"

"Ah…Pandy…I don't want you to be ashamed. But this is for our protection. I've come to find out something…" He crossed his arms, and sighed, "The Indoline forces, they've been rampant lately. They're specifically targeting those who have Blades…and cracking down on unidentified ones or ones who are using them against the wishes of the Pratorium. There are incredibly strict rules regarding a Driver and their Blade…"

"So they don't want Drivers and Blades to be together? How can that be? That's the closest connection you can have with another living being, sharing the ether of them!" She clenched her fists tightly, eyebrows knitting, "That's just…not fair! You should be able to love whoever you want!"

"I know Pandoria…and I understand. But please, I want this to keep being a thing. You and me. I promise my feelings for you haven't changed. But for now, we need to be safe."

She sighed gently, "Alright. Well, let's just go have a good time together!"

"Ah…your tail though…" He winced, realizing it was still wiggling about underneath her dress.

"Easy fix!" She winced slightly and pulled it hard. It came loose, and she tossed it onto the bed. Zeke felt his stomach sink seeing this, leaping back a bit.

"What in the world?"

"I could have done that at any time, but only I can remove it!" She adjusted her glasses.

"Doesn't….doesn't that hurt?"

"Nah, it's just like plucking a hair." She shrugged it off.

"Let's…not forget about that before we leave then…" He gulped hard, trying not to stare at it.

A massive crowd had built up in front of the holy gates of Fonsa Myma, people of all sorts of races and colors collectively chattering. There were all kinds of beautiful women in fancy dresses, some long and simple others complex and full of accessories. There were a few Blades there, but they kept their distance from Drivers as the watchful eyes of a few Indoline uniforms stared them down.

Pandoria was growing more and more excited, and her shoulders started to glow a bit more with each passing moment. Zeke whistled gently as he tugged at the fabric of her dress, nudging her a little. She calmed down, and the light dimmed. The gates opened and she clapped softly, bouncing while she clutched onto her Driver's arm.

The stairs led up to the Grand Palace, where the leader of Uraya stood and shook the hands of the visitors. A smaller boy was standing next to her, with a robotic like Blade at his side. He was wearing the robes and symbol of Mor Ardain, looking pleased as he watched the crowd move along. "Pandy…look…that's the Emperor of Mor Ardain."

"What? No shitting?"

"Watch your mouth, we're around regality."

She eyed the boy, who gave her a tiny glance at first but more of his focus was on Zeke. The prince had styled his hair in a very fanciful manner, one where he might not be recognizable to many but he still bore the eyepatch. After Zeke was welcomed by the queen he hurried inside.

Mosaic tiles lined the floors, fountains of enormous sizes spewed out colorful patterns and the light fixtures were heavily decorated and sparkled within. A regal orchestra was strumming along, servants hustled about with plates of food and drink for guests.

"This brings me back to the posh parties my father always attempted to throw…something always went wrong."

"Just don't step on any toes and we'll be fine." Pandoria huffed slightly towards him. As Zeke turned to get a better view of a garden nearby, he ran straight into the side of a butler carrying a plate of hors d'oeuvres. The prince panicked and helped to clean the mess while his Blade groaned, covering her face with her hands.

The night went on without much havoc. Zeke danced perfectly alongside his Blade, but when given to another partner per tradition, he often stepped on toes and stumbled. Many grumbled and let him return to Pandoria without question. He always would provide a cheesy grin, to the point where she thought he was doing this on purpose.

As the night was nearly coming to a close, one of the men dancing along with Pandoria was trying to twirl her along to the beat of the song. He noticed her relcutancy to this and grumbled, "What's wrong with you?"

"I'm just not good at this."

"Well come on I'll show you!"

She yelped as he turned her arm upwards, and some of the material from her shoulder draped in a way where her light fixtures were exposed. The Gormotti man sharply gasped, and backed away. "A Blade…but you were…" He stared to Zeke and felt himself panic a little, running off.

Pandoria felt her heart sink, as the Gormotti man was on a straight path flying towards the Indoline soldiers. She rushed to Zeke's side and tugged him away, "We have to go!"

"Pandy? What's wrong?"

"Someone found out!" She panicked, trying to weave them through the crowd. A few people started to stare at them, whispering gently. "We have to go now Zeke!"

He could hear the desperation in her voice, even over the loud music. The room began to spin almost as he hurriedly chugged through the crowd and back out the front door. They began to bolt down the stairs, Pandoria tripping slightly in her heels. Zeke noticed a few people beginning to line up against the windows, and plucked her up carrying her like a bride. She clutched onto his neck as he nearly leaped down each flight of steps, back to their hotel. They quickly gathered their things, and headed to the Titan's ship dock.

The guard protecting them was fast asleep…Pandoria reattached her tail and started working the key slot of one of the smaller, quicker boats. She slammed on the controls, and without hesitation the ship started and began to head out the exit of Uraya's side. Lucky for both of them, the beastly Titan was above sea level and into the night they sailed.

Once out of range, Pandoria grabbed her knees. A few tears fell, and then flowed. She silently sniffled in her dress.

Zeke knelt next to her, touching her shoulder softly. "Pandy…"

"Why?" She muttered, "Why do you have such awful luck?" She snapped her head back up at him, her face a sad mixture of anger and sorrow.

"Pandoria…I…" He tried to make some excuse, tried to be funny, tried to seek the answer deep down inside himself but couldn't muster anything. He just felt his legs fail him as he sat on the floor with her, ache and disappointment deep within him.

"I…I'm sorry."

She wrapped her hands around his waist, and remained silent. For a moment they sat together, both in their overly dressed outfits. Zeke huffed as he tore off his jacket and ripped the shirt. "What are you doing?" She gasped as he tossed out the uniform.

"Good riddance!" He panted, wiping his hands and digging through their things for his usual jacket. He placed it back on and removed Turters from the inner pocket, smiling at her.

She held their pet and glanced up to him. Frustrated, she stood and made him turn around. She removed her dress, quickly placing her usual clothing back on before tossing it out into the Cloud Sea. "Yeah…good riddance…" She distantly gaze to him and sighed, "Gosh…you are a piece of work sometimes my prince. I can't stay mad at you."

"Well especially for something that's not inherently my fault either!" He pointed out with an air of haughtiness.

"Don't you get like that with me!" She twisted his ear a bit and he winced, bending under the pressure of the pain.

She let go and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. He returned the hug and held her shoulder, looking out to the distance. The long body of Mor Ardain's humanoid form wading through the Cloud Sea was sombering back and forth. It moved in an endless Circle, always peering forward. "Well, I suppose there's a place free from Indol. Perhaps we can find some respite there."

"I guess so." She shrugged. "Why not? As long as I've got you, I know we'll be okay."

He chuckled softly, "You're right about that."


	11. Mor Ardain-Lost and Found

As much as the two had anticipated the Titan of Mor Ardain to be glorious and full of splendor, they were intrigued as to how different it was from the previous continents. The land was hot and dry, barely a plant growing from it and what did come from it was not fruitful in any regards. The agriculture was sharp, rugged and spikey, adapting to the climate of the Titan's overly warm body. There were even some strange plants that seemed engorged full of water, bearing odd-looking plump leaves that welcomed them to the land.

Creatures even looked different, some species boasting heavy plated bodies. There were hungry looking vulture-like birds of enormous size looking for kill, looming beastly steer pawed at the ground for water. Bunnets here grabbed the ends of cacti, using them as defensive weapons while searching for their next meal. "This place looks like it's ready for a fight…the beasts here even seem hostile." Zeke mentioned after they had docked their ship and sold it to the closest vendor possible.

"They did say Mor Ardain has been the one trying to find land to live upon. Is this what happens to a Titan when it's beginning to die?"

"I suppose…" The prince felt his head line with beads of sweat, wiping them away. "Its ether must be warming the body of it to prepare for its final moments…much like before a person dies they become incredibly hot."

"It's kind of sad…" Pandoria looked up to the Titan's head, watching as it peered ever forward…never stopping its movements in the endless circle around the world tree. "Have you ever seen a Titan die before?"

"Me?" Zeke thought deeply, trying to recall the details of what life was like before meeting her. "Once. It was a smaller Titan, one that fit inside Genbu. It had been injured gravely, and we were unable to ensure that it would survive so we did what we could to make it comfortable. I was young at the time, so I didn't quite understand why we were treating it so well. When it died, it glowed for a while and started to dissipate into these streams of ether until it all vanished, leaving a few core crystals behind."

"Ether streams? Core crystals?"

"Well yes…I was a rather studious child so I can educate you a bit!" He was distracted by his own pride, barely paying any attention to the sign ahead of him indicating where the city was. He noticed a gate to the left of where they had docked, and so started to walk along the pathway. "Titans and Blades are both made of super concentrated ether, in the form of a living, breathing, even sometimes reproductive being. Titans produce core crystals, which as you know obviously give birth to Blades such as yourself. Blades are very similar to humans, when they take that form…they are able to do as much as a human can although no record of live birth has ever existed in the thousands of years Blades have."

Pandoria nodded a bit at his words, trying to keep up with his fast pace. He seemed to almost move quicker as he chattered. They passed through the heavy gates, and neither one of them noticed a soldier yelling about a faded sign guiding visitors to the city. "Ether is the very structure of our world Pandy! It's your lifeblood, the very thing that gives you substance. It's where our magic, our power comes from. And with Drivers and Blades, the very ether of their life forces are shared. There are all sorts of ways to manipulate it, for good and for bad." He placed his hands on his hips, and finally stared out into the distance. There was a nearby cliff that tumbled down the side of the Titan;s shoulder, there was a building with massive pipes sticking out from its body and embedded into the ground.

Large oversized snakes abounded with flailed hoods and giant rattlers, eying down the two dangerously. Horned monstrosities were even closer, heads lowered in preparation to charge. There was no friendly life around here to be seen. "Where…is the city?"

"Perhaps they couldn't take the heat and retreated to an underground respite…" Zeke told, scooting Pandoria along very carefully as to not get the attention of the dangerous, wild animals. "Ah-ha!" There was an imposing stairwell that fell deep down into the earth.

The two escaped from the wilds inside, finding themselves in a barren wasteland of what looked to be a factory at some point. The stairs creaked and appeared aged with rust. Doors bent and leaned under the pressure of the Titan's body. Pipes ran completely dry. Only spiders and snakes seemed to make their homes here, alongside a few vangs. "This should be no problem…we can navigate this with zero issue!"

Two days later, Pandoria grumbled and stomped her foot while she walked back into a room, the same room they had visited with the same hole at the same entrance. She had been marking a few places with crude drawings of a turtle, but they all had either disappeared or were lost in the twisting, winding passageways of their current jail cell.

Zeke was appearing weak, with having consumed most of their on-hand food and water his lips were becoming less supple and his energy ran low. He huffed, leaning against the wall and glanced at his clock. "9pm already…we've been stuck down here for nearly three days…"

"And we've passed by the same places so many times…I feel like we're just walking in circles." She slumped against the wall, dropping her body slowly to the floor to join him. The two groaned together, the rumbling of their stomachs simultaneously churning echoed in the distant hall.

"We barely got past our last set of baddies…" Zeke closed his eye tiredly, "This…just can't be the end…" He stared to Turters and found evil thoughts running through his mind, "No…I couldn't possibly."

"If you even dare mention eating our beloved pet, I will murder you with my own hands!" Pandoria prodded her finger into his side hard.

He winced a bit. "No Pandy…we won't eat Turters. There's far too little meat on him anyway."

She gasped. Somehow even with his weakness, he chuckled. She relaxed and clutched him close, the two were beyond spent. "I haven't a survivor's bone in my body it seems."

She watched a nearby bug crawl along the earth's surface, "Is this worse or better than the avalanche?"

Zeke found himself shivering at just the mention of their home Titan. They had been exploring castle ruins, and found themselves caught inside a cavern as a plethora of snow debris fell in front of the mouth of the cave. "It's about the same level of terrible times…" He sighed, gazing at her longingly, "At least there's more company here…and it's warmer. That was just a frozen hellish nightmare. Nearly two days of digging through all that muck…how awful."

"Please don't die…I've had such a wonderful time with you…these last six years."

"Seven." He corrected with a certain haughty tone.

"Seven?" She cocked her head.

"Today…specifically…it was supposed to be our anniversary together. When I had resonated with you as a Blade."

"That means, it's close to your birthday too."

"Yep, turning into an old man it seems."

"You're only 22…" She snickered.

"Hey you don't ever age! I don't want to hear a peep from you."

Pandoria giggled, and got a good look at her Driver, watching the way his hair was swayed into its unique style, his clean and smooth cheeks, his dashing chin. She felt her hands exploring his chest for a moment, even now in the grips of suffering he was a handsome and fun man. She could feel her head swimming with ache, but what it was exactly she found it hard to describe. She just had to be close to him, had to be around him.

He hummed gently as she massaged at his shoulders. "Pandoria…are you alright?"

She snapped out of her trance, blushing a bit, "Yeah…now's probably not the time for that."

The two watched as Turters waddled off, trying to chase after the bugs. Zeke sighed deeply, "You know…this is a curse I think."

"What is, my prince."

"My…Chaos. The Chaos I bring…it just seems to make us both so miserable…and yet you're still here alongside me."

She lightly punched his shoulder, and he huffed, "You couldn't get rid of me if you tried! You'd have to be a completely different person for me to even think about doing that, even then…" She pouted, "Don't doubt yourself my prince….you're a great guy. We can get out of this…we have before."

He nodded, finding his eye closing, "Let me…get some rest. I will have us freed from here by tomorrow morning."

"I believe in you…" She gave him a soft kiss to the cheek, and the two fell asleep in each other's arms.

Pandoria found herself waking up in the arms of her Driver, his body still. She gazed down at his bare chest peeking from the corners of his cozy jacket, and could smell the sweat melting from his body. She caught his eyes, and found that it was a mistake because he had that overly confident and cocky smirk that she so adored. She felt herself shaking almost and begging for more, gazing at his lips as he focused on the sight before them. They had returned to their kissable state, no longer parched. In fact he seemed completely rejuvenated.

They were at the elevator that lead up to Alba Cavanich, the main box descending from its high perch. Pandoria nearly jumped out his arms with surprise at this, "How…how did you get out?"

"I guess I got luck for once." He chuckled, "But that hardly matters now. We're here. And from what I've overheard there's an inn, famous for its hot springs. We should check in and get some well earned rest in an actual bed."

They barely cared about the markets, despite the upgrade from Uraya. They had sights on the inn, which welcomed them with open arms. After climbing up the set of stairs to the top, Zeke helped Pandoria unpack their things and get the room situation. He glanced at the clock, the afternoon was upon them but clouds collected into the sky.

"According to our information packet, the ladies' bathing spot is open. You should go and relax."

"Go? Doesn't that mean…getting…" She blushed a bit at the idea of removing her clothing, especially in front of the prince. Why it mattered now was baffling. They had often changed in close quarters before , always respecting the other by covering eyes or moving to a different room. Perhaps it was the fact that she feared being joined by someone else, or would interrupt someone else's time. Whatever it was, her shoulders glowed and flickered gently as she stumbled about, looking for a towel.

Zeke trusted she would be okay, as he rested his head on a pillow and placed Turters onto his bedside table. "Well, enjoy yourself! I'm going to take a little cat nap now that I've had my fill of food and whatnot."

"Lazy." She joked while bending down to place a small kiss on his forehead. He hummed happily and within seconds he was out cold.

Pandoria carefully and gently removed her clothing, watching in a mirror the way the fabric slid from her body. She hated feeling so exposed usually. She tugged at her tail, removing it and placing it onto the bed after undressing completely. She covered herself with a large purple towel and started to make her way towards the hot springs.

The air was a bit chilly, the wind blew softly. The world below seemed quiet with afternoon haze. Pandoria stared at the hot springs, there were no other guests using it so she cautiously stepped up to it and dipped her toes into its waters. She drew back a little, but bit her lip and slip the towel from her shoulders. Quickly, she jumped inside and gave a calm breath out.

It was relaxing, the warmth enveloped her from the outside in. It smelled heavily of minerals, but it wasn't unwelcome. She took off her glasses, setting them behind her on the ground and placed her head back, allowing the waters to play with her hair. Just as she thought she was trying to drift off, she felt the waters move a little and gasped. She straightened up at an instant, squinting before returning the spectacles to her nose.

A straight-faced, black-haired woman was in the baths now, minding her own business. She was carefully dabbing water along her arms in a fanciful manner. She noticed Pandoria's stare and hummed softly at the core crystal on her chest. "Away from your Driver are you?" The woman in question had a thick, stern accent.

"Male Driver…" Pandoria tried not to make too much eye contact with her…those amber eyes were so piercing and cold…it made the Blade shiver.

"Ah well that's understandable…"

"Are you…a Driver ma'am?"

The woman's eyes widened, and she cocked her head at her. She chuckled and shook her head, "You…you're not from around here are you?"

"No…"

"Where do you hail from Blade?"

"T…Tantal…ma'am…" She didn't want to expose too much information to this random stranger but she felt her heart racing.

"Tantal…I haven't seen or heard wind of anyone from there in many years. Rumor has it that the prince was expelled some time ago…and is roaming around somewhere in Alrest with his Blade. Some proclaim he's gone rouge, and has been committing crimes. Others say he is a great hero that brings justice to those who are most in need of it." She gave a tiny shrug, "Who can say? All reports are so vague and unthreatening that I couldn't be bothered with half of them. Perhaps I will study it more if it pertains more to the health of my nation."

Pandoria felt a little angered by this statement, trying not to let it show. She hated anyone who bad-mouthed her prince. "And just who are you exactly?"

"Someone very important to the military. I'm actually shocked they didn't force you out of the spring before my arrival but perhaps it was because they had no women on duty." She bowed her head gently, "Mòrag Ladair. I am the owner of Brigid, commonly known as the Jewel of Mor Ardain. She's a beautiful Blade who produces a blue flame and can render enemies asunder in seconds."

The Blade shivered with the confidence in this woman's voice…and this Brigid she spoke of sounded so strong. "Th…that means."

"Aye…I'm the sister of our Emperor Niall. If it had not been for our strict laws, I would have been the ruler myself." She stretched her arms and reached for her towel. "Well Blade, I must be going. It has been an honor talking to you. I wish you well in your travels."

And without another word, Mòrag lifted herself from the springs. She toweled herself down, threw the dirty one away in a nearby bin, covered up and disappeared without a trace.

Pandoria barely had time to register this before she noticed a small green rock moving. She adjusted her glasses a few times and gasped, seeing it was her pet galloping along without a care in the world. She turned around towards the wall of the spa, hoping he wouldn't notice her.

"Oh no…" She went back and forth in the springs until the familiar yell of her Driver made her duck into the water at chin-level. A panicked Zeke barged into the hot springs area, yelling, "Turters!" He glanced all around, finally snatching the tiny creature from falling into the edge of the hot pool.

But his eyes stared up, at the nude back of Pandoria. Even with the mild coverage of the waters, she was completely exposed. Zeke could feel his eye twitching, his mouth open with shock and his brain fog over with a mix of shame and interest. He fought his primal instincts, refusing to gawk as he sharply turned around. He said nothing, but returned back down the steps.

After hearing him leave, her shoulders dropped and she sighed in relief. Believing he didn't take notice, she lifted herself from the baths and grunted as she retrieved her towel.

Zeke was trying not to blush as she returned, now covered. "H…How was your bath?"

"Nice…" She cleared her throat, "You missed me by just a few minutes, I was behind the screen getting my towel back on!"

"Ah what a lovely opportunity missed…" He chuckled as she puffed her cheeks up.

"I…met someone though."

"Really? I thought the hotel was empty?"

"Not at all…apparently someone by the name of Morag stopped by. I guess she's some kind of important leader."

"Mòrag huh…." Zeke felt his memories trying to recall the name but to no avail. "Never heard of her. Well I'd like to meet her someday! Sounds like an interesting person."


	12. Passion

Pandoria once again found herself in the embrace of her prince, shirtless and tightly tucked away into slumber. But something felt strange about this morning.

Her heart could not stop pounding. She knew it had been some time since they had stated their true feelings for each other, almost a year. They were secured in the hotel of Mor Ardain while a sandstorm raged outside, it would not be a good day to look for work…so they were stuck inside.

A tugging was moving deep within her every time she glanced at his skin. Small details were making her eyes widen, the shape of his neck, the firm bob of his Adam's apple quivering with each breath. His pulse pounding in his veins, the warmth and heat his body radiated. She squeezed her knees together, feeling a tingling need within her core but could not name what it was.

Zeke pat the bed where she had been resting, and his eyebrows knit in frustration. She sat on the edge of the mattress, yelping a bit as he grabbed her tail.

He felt the electricity zap his finger lightly, his torso rising at an instant. "Owch!" He muttered, waving his hand

"Sorry my prince!" She felt her face rush over with an intense heat at her high pitched squeal.

Zeke's face reflected confusion at her overreaction. "It's fine Pandy, common occurrence."

Pandoria sighed with relief, and tried to relax against him a bit more. He protectively grasped her shoulder and hummed, "Are you okay?"

"I guess…"

"Come on Pandy. If something's wrong, you know I can tell." He nuzzled her forehead softly but she pulled away.

She slumped over a bit, holding her knees to her chest with a pout, "Well it's kind of embarrassing."

"I'm all ears. We've been together long enough. I think you can tell me anything now."

Pandoria found the confidence inside her but refused to glance at his eyes. She stared at the floor, adjusting her glasses and gulped down her fear, "Every time I look at you, I feel this weird thing inside me…like a tingly tickling ache…it runs up around my center and my heart flutters about…my mouth waters and I can't focus on anything but you…It kind of started after we escaped from that weird underground factory but it just keeps coming back!" She wrung the fabric of her tutu half between her clenched fists, biting her lip with frustration. She didn't want to explain how a few days ago, she knew he had come into the hot springs to try and find Turters…

Zeke took in her confession, and pondered for a moment. "Well…I'm not up to snuff on my recollection of Blade anatomy…but it sounds like to me that you're feeling a sexual desire of some sort."

"What?" She was almost drawn back by his bluntness.

He was trying to hold back his blush, but alas his cheeks were ablaze. "Well, I suppose it's only natural! You do have the physical features of a human woman, and I assume the parts to go with it as well. You eat, breathe, sleep as I do…" He was trying to avoid making any assumptions about her, and avoid glancing to her womanly assets as well.

"Pervert…you're looking at my breasts then huh?"

"Well could you blame me if I was?" Zeke tried to retaliate but she could only find herself getting more giggly, and more flustered by this. To think her prince was trying to resist the same feelings that were going on inside of her was almost a bit arousing, and her tail could not stop wiggling.

She crossed her arms however, and glanced off into the outside, "I'm sorry…I know that was sudden. But it's just hard to resist I suppose."

"Well, you did bring it up for a reason."

"Tch…as if…" She reluctantly opened up her posture and turned to glance at him. That was a mistake. Their mouths moved together as if they were magnetized, and the soft supple kisses became less and less chaste. Pandoria nearly froze when she could feel his tongue begin to prod for the inside of her mouth, and gulped before allowing it. For a moment the two parted, gazing at each other while breath was still hot.

He smiled at her softly, and the warmth of his expression radiated throughout her body, heating her face instantly. "Pandoria, if you don't feel comfortable with wanting to do something, all you have to do is tell me. I'll be here for you, wants and needs and all."

"Ugh!" She stomped a little, and bit her lip, "Why do you have to be like that?"

"What?"

"You're just…so…" She grabbed his jacket and shook him a little, "You're too nice! You've been like that ever since we left Tantal. Forgiving, and nice and goofy and…" She stopped and stared into his eye for a moment, breathing out. "Beautiful…"

He chuckled softly, and the sound of it sent tingles down her spine. He was a bit breathless and hot-faced so his words came slower than usual, "It's a bit…ironic you calling me beautiful? You are the most precious…wonderful and beautiful thing that I have ever laid eyes upon. If the legends of Elyseum would be true, its splendor would be nothing in comparison to you."

Pandoria felt herself tearing up a little as she returned to his embrace. The hot, languid kisses resumed and Zeke moved his mouth smoothly from her lips to her chin. She made soft noises as he did so.

"Zeke…are you…sure…you want this…with me?" Between breaths she spoke softly to him. He nuzzled his way into her neck, shaking his head gently. "Why would you say that? Of course I do…"

"Because…there might be someone else…" She dropped her eyes but caught his face staring at her with content. "Pandoria…I think…that someone else…is you."

She gave a breathless gasp as he placed his lips on her neck. Her ether lingered on his mouth as he continued to make his way around her face and shoulders.

He nibbled experimentally at her drooping ear. That elicited a shiver and a tiny mewing moan from her, which sent waves of endorphins flooding in the princes ear. He had to hear more of that. He protectively covered her with his arms as he lined her ear with smooches.

Pandoria's core crystal was glowing brightly, her stomach full of butterflies. The heat rushing to her face was so welcome. She gently prodded her fingers under his jacket, making small motions and irregular patterns onto his skin. He obeyed her silent command and slid it from his shoulders. He stood bare-chested before her, and she found herself salivating a little.

She wrapped her arms around his torso, rubbing her cheek on his ribs and hearing the rapid beating of his heart. He grasped her again and began to his at her neck, and motioned down to her collarbone, prodding his nose towards her bra strap.

She shook a bit as she very slowly removed the first part of her petticoat off. It dropped to her side, and with confidence she took off the rest. She stood before him, feeling a bit exposed in just her bra. Zeke hungrily took in her image and moved cautiously over to her. He dug his finger under the remaining strap, and together the two exposed her bare front.

She shivered a bit, despite the heat of the Titan the sheer chill of the room was reflective of Tantal. She wanted to cover her hardening nipples but stood awkwardly there, while Zeke pondered what to do. He carefully placed his hand to cup her breast and she wiggled into it. He found himself amazed, the texture was beyond amazing and her skin was so soft.

"Zeke…" She chuckled a little, "You don't have to be so gentle…I won't break even if my shoulders do look like…" Pandoria felt her words taken as Zeke dove down to consume her breast in his wet lips. The sensation of him manipulating her made her toes curl. He leaned her against the bed and she gasped, noticing something prodding at her thigh from between his legs as he came closer.

"Uh…is that normal?" She was a bit curious, despite her initial worry.

He couldn't deny it as he parted from her chest. "All part of the process darling…do you mind…?" He gazed at her tail and she nodded, removing it with a sharp tug.

"Now…if this…gets bad for you don't hesitate to tell me." He told with warm breath hitting her wet skin. She shook gently but nodded. "No…I like this."

"Good. I do too." He took initiative and slipped off his pants first. She watched, her eyes wide behind her round glasses. She took notice of the large lump behind the fabric and gulped. He took her ungloved hand and gently guided it towards his stiff member.

She gave a small gasp at it, feeling the warmth and heat of it…the intense stretch of his skin. She gazed up at him as he gave a welcome grin. "See? Not so bad…"

"Zeke…what…" She had a vague idea, a distinct knowledge deep in her mind what was going to happen. She leaned back and exposed her body fully, digging her thumbs into her shorts. He watched as she slipped them off, leaving only their underwear as a blockade.

The prince did not hesitate in leaning over her, and cradling her against his chest. She huffed a bit as she felt his sheathed manhood rub against the silk of her panties. With a slight hesitation, she slickly removed her barrier, and his at the same time.

"You…sure?" He kissed her forehead, and then her lips. She looked up to him, dazed and needing. "Of course I am. I wouldn't have it any other way."

"Alright…I love you Pandoria."

"I love you too Zeke…" She felt her Driver enter her body and gasped with the pressure suddenly between her hips. Zeke grunted softly, feeling the softness of her womanhood molding around him, and he fought every instinct to buck wildly into her. She squeezed her knees to the sides of his chest and held him in place for a moment before he began to move.

It was a different sensation but it filled every instinctive need within her. Zeke drew back and pushed in a little bit more quickly, kissing her thighs as he massaged her back. She moaned finally as he leaned down to kiss her neck and the noise made his eyes widen and his member twitch within her.

Pandoria placed her fingers at the entrance, feeling him there. There was a wonderful tingling as she manipulated her own folds. She moved her fingers over and over as he continued to thrust. Sparks began to fly from her skin and move heavily in the air. The condensed ether in the air was suffocating.

The electricity within her core was building, like a small storm ready to unleash. Pandoria watched Zeke, watched him as she touched more. Her breath stopped, her heart exploded as a flood of pleasure coated her. Lost in the glory of her climax, she could barely register the sound of lightning flooding her driver with gripping pain. He panted with sweat lining his forehead. In the final moments of their union, she could feel his member twitch and a warmth flood her from the inside out. He drew out and gulped hard as he saw the result of their passion.

She panted, her grip finally releasing from the sheets. She saw the marks from her ether lining his skin. He saw her worried face and caressed her, "That…was amazing…"

"I know…that was perfect…" She nuzzled under his chin as he grabbed a towel to help clean them both up. He parted her hair and sighed blissfully. She looked at their nude bodies, her face glowing with the realization of what they had just done. "I never knew…Blades…could do such things."

"Blades and humans aren't all that different, it's just the concentration of ether and the connection we have to one another." Zeke kissed her face over and over for a few moments. She giggled, "I never felt so nice…"

"I was worried for a moment…I didn't want you to feel hurt at all. I've never done that myself…"

"How did you know what to do?"

He shrugged, "I just thought about the things that would make you feel nice…and I might have pried my eyes onto a few of your romance novels."

She found herself blushing again and shoved her hands into his chest. He laughed loudly, and the two wrapped around each other softly. The sandstorm outside was still raging…even though the street was visible now. "You…wanna play some naked board games?"

"Sure why not?" He sat up and dug through their things.


	13. A Driver's Instinct

"Is the coast clear?" Zeke muttered from the empty shower stall. Although there was only one available per the entire floor, he still felt compelled to stay silent.

Pandoria squinted her eyes watching the hallways for a moment. With knit eyebrows, her throat tightened and she set a hand to the wall's surface. Her ether flared and a burst of lightning followed the walls and floor. When no sound came back in pain, she nodded softly and entered the shower room.

She promptly locked the door behind her tightly, and removed her clothes. Zeke had already started the water, a fine misty steam starting to waft in the air from the heat. He still looked as majestic as the first time she has witnessed him nude, despite that now being a few months prior to them.

They had managed to find steady work in Mor Ardain, posing as commoners who were in a pinch. They worked tirelessly at the ship docks, helping haul barrels and boxes with other Blades and Drivers. Nobody seemed to know or care who these two were, which for a change was refreshing.

Pandoria explored his muscles with her eyes before slipping her glasses off and stepping next to him in the water. It flowed over her body with a comforting heat, making her shiver at first before her skin became used to the heat.

The prince yawned gently as he snuggled into her. When they were in private that was when he was the most affectionate. But somehow in the public eye, he almost seemed to avoid her. Indol was nowhere to be seen and yet he still suspected foul play.

Pandoria didn't want to complain about this, she knew deep down it was to help keep her safe. But it didn't help the sting when he would grunt a little at her advances or purposely slip his hand from hers. She sighed, trying not to think to hard about those times while she began to wet her hair down.

"Morning…" Zeke finally managed to croak out as he slapped his cheeks a little.

"Hey…" She distantly responded back to him, trying to see what sort of soaps they had collected.

He cocked an eyebrow, and seemed a bit more awakened by her flat statement. "What's the matter Pandy?"

"Oh it's nothing my prince…It's just…" She felt her heart squeeze a bit and pouted, "You know I saw a couple the other day…they had a baby."

"A baby you say? It's a shame I didn't get to see it. I love the little creatures!" He chuckled a bit. "I always wanted a baby brother or sister…but alas such is fate."

Pandoria blushed a little and took a hold of her core crystal. "Blades…can't get pregnant, can they?"

Zeke could feel his mood sinking as he watched her body slump over. "There…hasn't been any documented cases."

"And because of Indol's law…" She bit her lip a little, trying not to let her voice crack, "There's no way…we could ever…get…"

He knew what she was going to say and protectively moved over to her. He yelped a little, finding his foot catching the floor the wrong way. He slipped, but she helped prop him back up.

"Sorry!" She pouted but he shook his head and held her with one arm next to his side, "No matter what Pandoria, I will always be here for you. Married or not."

"Yeah but…" She had a dreamy, far-off expression as she began to slather her hair with shampoo, "Just imagine. We could have a grand wedding somewhere exotic. Like the Leftherian islands, or Gormott! And we would invite random strangers, and everyone would be so happy. You'd wear a tuxedo and I would wear a beautiful white, flowing wedding dress…that you could even hand make!" She desperately clung to him as the soap ran through her fingertips. "It would be so fun…."

"Pandy…" He gently lifted her chin, "I know. But until Indol gets their head out of their arse we're fodder for the masses. What if they captured us and used us as examples? Or worse hurt you?"

"I….guess you're right…" She sighed with a forlorn breath and watched as he started to wash his own hair. For a moment they were both silent, and there was a distance almost between them.

"Zeke…I don't want to forget you when I die." Pandoria told suddenly.

"What?" He was so taken aback by this that he slipped once more and fell onto his tailbone. He hissed and rubbed it after grabbing the safety bar and standing up.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah…but why…why mention that all of the sudden? I'm just nearly 24 Pandoria…I'm nowhere near kicking the bucket yet!"

She crossed her arms as he plucked a special soap for her from the shelving, and she lathered herself in the lavender scented glory. It made her relax, just a tad. The Blade watched their feet for a moment, letting the water run over her. "Blades…forget when they return to their core crystals. Everything. And the moments we've spent together…those will all be gone."

"Well, when that comes Pandy so will I too." He set his hand on her dimly glowing shoulder and tried to provide a comforting smile, "You won't be the you…that's standing here right now. Just like the you that was in the cave isn't the you that's here with me. So yes, it will be like a death. But you will continue to pursue, and I will become an essence in your ether."

She felt tears sting the corners of her eyes and clutched onto him tightly, "I just…I'm going to have to watch you get old…and get sick and…"

"Shh…" He rubbed her back as she nuzzled into his chest. "Everything will be fine."

"Just…what are we doing? We can't keep going from place to place. We need a plan."

"What kind of plan?" Zeke ran his fingers through her damp hair as he slowly began to turn off the water.

She stepped out and looked to her glasses and clothes. "A home…somewhere we can be safe."

Zeke for once, wasn't sure what to tell her.

Pandoria still bore an uneasy feeling when they entered the marketplace, gathering their things for the week ahead. Her feet were like iron as she shuffled from place to place, making sure to pick up extra servings of bacon. She noticed Zeke chatting with a pair of women, and his movements were just as extraordinary and open as always. Her confidence was shaken now and she sneered towards this, huffing back to their room while her tail flickered in anger.

Zeke stretched and one of the women sidled closer to him. "Oh…what nice muscles you have there."

"Thanks…" He motioned for her to back up a bit and could notice the tone in her voice, "Ah sorry to disappoint ladies but there happens to be a special someone in my life."

"Then why even chat with two beauties like us?" The second girl prodded a bit, as the two giggled gently between themselves.

"What? A man cannot yearn for the friendship of someone else without being questioned on his motives?" He huffed softly, "That seems a tad asinine. Well thank you for your business, I appreciate the help." He had scoured the marketplace, determined to find something Pandoria would like. He could tell she was feeling badly, and wanted to make up for their harsh discussion. So he had collected a book she had been fawning over, and a bunch of flowers.

He whistled as he started to make his way back to the room.

Pandoria flopped their stuff down, not even taking the time to unpack. On a regular day, she would gladly organize everything by hand. But after sloppily tossing her things in the fridge, she sat on the edge of the bed and pet the sheets down. Memories of their unions together just made her stomach tie into tighter knots. She gazed out the window, watching as the same couple she spoke of walked passed. Her eyes felt foggy. "I bet they have a nice house together here. And that they're happy. I bet Zeke isn't happy with me. That's why he keeps pushing me off. I do so much for him and yet this is how I get thanked…" She kicked the side of the bed and nearly broke the lightbulb on her shoe. She yelped slightly at her own strength, and then continued to sulk.

"I…better go make sure the dummy can even make it home. Knowing his luck he'll end up back at that factory without me guiding him home." She muttered to herself, dejectedly.

But as soon as she opened the door, a massive Blade stood before her. It was one she recognized, although the memories were distant. "Oh shit…"

The Gormotti Driver from their final days on the Titan stepped out from behind the Blade. He smirked with an evil grin to his face and chuckled, "That's the girl Buck. You know what to do."

Pandoria tried to defend herself, but was far too slow. The Blade slammed his fist into her gut and she fell to the ground in pain. Another sharp blow knocked her unconscious, and the two took her body away from the hotel room.

Zeke was practically skipping as he turned the corner, just as the bandit and his Blade were leaving the street and heading down the elevator. He walked up the steps and entered the room with a sing-song voice, "Pandy, love of my life! I've got a surprise for you."

He felt his blood run cold when he saw the bags of merchandise, but no Pandoria. She normally waited for him. He gulped hard and set the gifts down on the bedside table. "Aha…a game of flirty hide and seek. I bet you're under the bed, just in your undies…" He nervously kneeled down and didn't see her there. His heart stammered a bit, knocking over the vase of flowers he purchased. It shattered with a loud crash, and he stared down to it.

His eye widened as he spotted something familiar, a piece of cloth from the edge of her tutu. He took it between his hands, and something from deep within him spoke. He could not determine its origin, nor who it was exactly but Zeke knew it was the instinct of a Driver. It felt like he could see the lines of ether that connected them, guiding him along a wayward path. He stood up, clutching the fabric to his heart and followed the instinct like a wild animal.

Pandoria groaned as she awoke, in a compromised state. He hands had been shackled to the side of a large steel beam. They were far below the city, in a secluded almost secret area that the cloud sea could easily swallow up at a moment's notice. The rolling tides were starting to creep in on the edges. The bandit laughed as she came to and gave a fake pout, "Aw, how sad. The Blade without her Driver. Well you fucked my brother over, and ruined his life. Now it's payback time. I wonder how long you'll be able to hold your breath once the Cloud Sea starts to take over this area?"

The Driver pondered, gazing over to his Blade that snickered, "Gee I'm not sure. They say that Blades turn into Core Crystals once they can't hold their breath anymore. And especially with the Cloud Sea…if you get stuck under the waves your crystal will end up getting pulled apart molecule by molecule. You'll never be able to come back."

"All that time spent with your precious little Driver…that won't be even a flicker of a memory if you're lucky enough to make it through that."

Pandoria struggled against the chains but felt her energy sapped. "Don't even try that toots. It's Ardanian ether cable, it will prevent any kind of attack from you all while taking that strength from you. Can't shock us now!"

She stood back and grunted, clenching her teeth. The two were staring her down, waiting for the lapping of the seas to start engulfing the edges of the land. Her head sunk to her chest, shaking her head. "Zeke…" She whispered gently, hoping that perhaps somewhere he could hear her.

She heard a thump and looked up. The Gormotti Driver was on the ground, face slammed into the dirt. Zeke held a fist over his head and roared with anger. The Blade attempted to use his own element, but the prince whipped out his sword and slammed the beastly partner in the chest. "You saw what I did to your brother. I will do it again."

"You…" The Driver snarled, and unsheathed his claws, "You can't even use her power! How are you still so strong?"

"Pandoria and I have a bond that is beyond ether!" He yelled as he managed to dodge one claw. The other scraped deep into his chest, leaving three deep slashes into the space under his jacket. He winced as the blood began to drip down his abdomen, doing his best to fend off the Blade as well. He made his way over to Pandoria and got the attention of the Blade. The creature tried to use its spear to slash at him, but ended up missing and cutting the cables instead.

"You idiot!" The Driver cursed and stood up, but his eyes were locked in fear onto the majesty of The Purple Lightning Dreamsmasher finally activating its full power. It glowed and sparked, the sounds of electricity racing through the air. "Now, face justice you fiends!"

"No wait please!" The Driver cowered but Zeke didn't hold back, he gathered the power and jumped high into the air, "Take this! Bringer of Chaos! Ultimate Lightning Fury Smash!" He slammed the blade hard onto the ground and a symbol appeared below them. For a moment, they stood confused but soon the ground underneath them crumbled. The two yelled as they fell far into the Cloud Sea below. Zeke panted, and turned around.

Pandoria took no time to wrap her arms around him, sobbing into his chest. He clutched her tightly and pressed kisses upon her face. Her light finally started to glow with happiness and he cuddled her closer. "I was so worried about you…"

"How did you know where to find me? We're in such a secluded area…I could have drowned…"

He shook his head, "Something within me told me where to find you. I don't know what it was…but the instinct was like no other Pandoria."

She parted from him and then gazed to the damage he had caused. "So you finally came up with a name for that one huh?"

"Yep! I was caught in the moment so whatever came from my mouth is sticking." He chuckled.

Pandoria snuggled up to his side, "Thank you for saving me, my prince."

"Anything for you." He grabbed her hand, and led her back to the hotel room and never let go.


	14. A Cozy Place

Pandoria gazed through her thick glasses at the pamphlet before her. "Really? The Leftherian islands?"

"You know what Pandoria?" Zeke told as he was stuffing his bags full of clothes, "We haven't had a proper celebration of my birthday in years! And not only that, the anniversary is coming along too."

The Blade felt a little tingly as she clutched the paper to her chest, smiling up at him. Ten long years almost…and every one of them had been worth it even in difficult times.

Zeke slapped his hands together and gazed at his organization with triumph. "And I promise you this. After we goof off this one last time, I swear to you that I will do what I can to help find a proper place. We'll settle down for good."

"Really?" She cocked her head, gazing at him with a smug expression. He matched it, "What's the stink eye for?"

"I don't know…I hope you can back those words up. We've just been adrift on the Cloud Sea for ten years and all the sudden you decide you wanna settle?"

"Well…yeah. Being an adult is like that sometimes. I just think it's time to grow up, stop playing games. We'll find a gig somewhere solid and earn that nice little cottage with a view." He pressed himself against her side, holding her shoulder as he made sweeping motions. "Just think about it. Me in an apron, cooking your favorite ham and sides while you bring back firewood from the forest."

"I think you've got that a little backwards…" She blushed, cupping her eyes with embarrassment.

He squeezed her tightly and beamed, "I'll even wear a nice dress at the wedding!"

"Zeke!" She gave him a light shove as he chuckled deeply, pressing kisses to every inch of her face.

Between their earnings over the past few months, the two had enough for a small Titan ship and hopefully enough for a few months of basic staple foods. Turters ate like a king on a feast of dried berries as they started to sail off.

Pandoria gazed to the Titan of Mor Ardain, her hand grasping the core crystal of her chest. She couldn't deny that they had an amazing time there…but it had also changed the spectrum of their relationship. The Blade knew the feelings her Driver had for her were true but something just felt a bit off now.

Her body almost felt heavy, a bit distracted. Something was just off. A guilt settled deep in her soul, knowing she should have the utmost faith in her prince. But as he piloted their dingy across the waters, she couldn't help but wonder: Does he even notice?

The Leftherian islands were a massive collection of Titans in the shape of round-bottomed almost sea-urchin esque creatures with tendrils that waved gently into the sky. A few budding new islands would occasionally float about, looking for a mass to land upon and begin to grow. Although imposing and protected by massive plates of natural armor on the outside, the inner protected pieces of land were flourishing with tropical landscape and sand as far as the eye could see.

"Does this Titan move at all?" She asked with curiosity as they docked ship, and did much the same to sell it as quickly as possible.

Zeke tried to recall his education on the Titans. "I think it does, but in such a slow manner that it may as well not move whatsoever."

He placed Turters back into his cozy spot and stretched his arms out, "Well come on. Let's go have a look around!"

Pandoria hadn't really seen or felt sand like the stuff lining the islands here. It was so smooth and gentle, unlike the dusty mess of Mor Ardain. Animals here boasted strange and exotic colors. There were massive remains of Titans long ago in the form of calcified spiral shells, where birds would go to nest. Water gently pooled into ponds and massive lakes at times. The bodies of the titans were connected by long land bridges with little protection from falling off. The Blade made sure to steer her prince far from those ledges, despite him trying to watch the sea below.

"If I recall, there's a quaint little village around here somewhere."

"Why do you know so much about this place?"

"Well I studied it grandly. Addam was supposedly very fond of this place. As my ancestor, it would be only wise to perform my duties as a prodigal son and all." He stood on more solid ground, gazing at the glowing ether that was collecting and glowing softly along the body of the island. "Just think, I could be at the very same place where he fought a massive battle for his life! Or this could have been a spot where he confessed an undying love for someone close to him." He puffed his chest out with pride.

Pandoria crossed her arms, "So has this whole adventure been just you trying to mimic someone from a super long time ago?"

"500 years isn't THAT long in the grand scheme of it all!" He huffed offensively, waving his hand, "And no…It's just…" He felt his shoulders fall a little, "I suppose I have been running away."

Her mouth went askew with curiosity, "From what?"

He sighed and crossed his arms, "The world. Myself? What would even be the right answer? There's just something in me, that keeps telling me to run. Run far away and just never return. I think I still feel angry, and I never will forgive my father for his grievances."

"Zeke…"

"He's just…always going to be apart of me. No matter where I go. No matter who I tag along with. I just feel a bit…empty. I want to have a purpose. I want to feel like what I am doing has made any sort of difference. I'm in the line of a hero who helped saved the world for Architect's sake! And look at me Pandy!" He placed his hands upon his chest with a pain in his eyes, "I feel…nothing like Addam."

"My prince…we have helped a lot of people. You've done so much more for others in the past 10 years that your father ever did in his life!" She stomped with a slight frustration but warmed up a little and walked next to him. She held his cheek pointing it at her own face, "And those people will never forget you. You will always be a part of their lives, and their stories."

"Pandoria…" He felt himself relax a little as she embraced him.

"And if anything else…I appreciate you Zeke."

He held her back, and smoothed her hair out.

While they continued their journey, they passed through something neither of them ever had the pleasure of experiencing. They entered a cavern, the innards of a floating island and watched the walls curve around them for a moment. Glowing balls of ether condensed into glass-like pods were their only way of seeing massive beasts migrating to other islands. The tunnel continued until it suddenly stopped and the light was filtering in through the Cloud Sea itself. The floor was composed purely of the bottom of the ocean, lined with shells and the leftover remains of sea stars. "It's like an aquarium…" Pandoria placed her hand on the side and felt the water cover her hand. The drippings that came from her hand seemed to be sucked back up into the enclosure of water. Zeke watched with awe as a large eel swam overhead, and dissipated back into the fog of the ocean.

"You were almost that guy's dinner once…" Pandoria teased her Driver lightly. Zeke scoffed, "That creature was a lot more tame than the bastard of the one in Gormott."

A few stingrays found themselves floating about above them, only to quickly return to the waters.

"The world…really is amazing sometimes." Pandoria told softly, her ether glowing in the dim light.

Zeke was almost speechless, watching her admire the Cloud Sea. He could only smile and dreamily respond, "Yeah…it really is."

Eventually the sands transmuted into grass, as a large island covered in mountainous formations appeared. They approached it, noticing the massive curved spikes curled around the edges of its body, almost if one day they would connect to make a stunning arch. Small forests were popping up frequently. Zeke paused for a moment, and Pandoria followed. The two simultaneously looked up and spotted a group of children upon a cliff as they giggled and jumped into the sea below. "We must be close to a civilization."

"Good luck finding you having fun like that. You take one look at anything more than ten feet tall and turn green." Pandoria chuckled.

A path lazily flowed through the lush grass, leading to a set of steps. At the top, greeting the visitors from afar was a stony archway. The cottages collected about this small village were wooden and humble. Mossy cobblestone created a small barrier that guided the village borders. The tallest of buildings here was only two stories, with plenty of windows. A plethora of children of varying skin tones and accents were playing with each other in the town's square. A large fountain encircled itself from a nearby wall, where mothers tended to their babies and fathers sat to talk with old friends on faded old benches.

A dark skinned, blue hair woman called for the children to come back to the supposed orphanage and they rushed back with haste. The smell of cooking hung heavy in the air. The merchants here were so much more tame and relaxing, kicking back their feet with customers as stories were woven of wholesome tales.

"Wow…" Pandoria could feel something inside her. Her heart felt heavy, and her eyes watery, "What is this place Zeke?"

"This is Fonsett village. This was supposedly a place that Addam rested in for quite sometime, some might even call it his hometown."

"It's just so…" She was having a hard time describing it, shaking her head finally, "It's so perfect."

Zeke smiled warmly, "Why don't you take a look around. I'm going to go get some things. I want it to be a surprise."

She placed her hands in front of her and smiled warmly. The more time she spent here, the more dangerous her thoughts became. She wanted so badly to live a life her, it was like every fiber of her being was lingering and begging for her to stay.

Zeke returned in no time, watching her ponder the names of the gravestones on the edge of a nearby plateau. He offered her a hand, and the two guided each other back to the edge of the Cloud Sea.

As evening started to emerge, Zeke took out a brand new blanket and unraveled it. In the comfort of safety and privacy, the two sidled up close to one another as they watched the sun start to dip down towards the horizon.

He placed a finger up and pulled out a picnic basket. From it there was bread, fresh meat, cheese and veggies. He composed each of them a fat sandwich. Then with a slight pose brought out a bottle of cheap, but sweet, wine. Pandoria giggled, indulging herself in the meal and the presence of her driver. Zeke paused them for just a moment, "How very rude of me! A toast…to us Pandoria. May we continue to be Driver and Blade through thick and thin."

She tapped her glass along his and drank deep from it. She held his hand, and he lightly rubbed his fingers over her knuckles. "I know it's not the most extravagant meal for a tenth anniversary but…"

"It's wonderful." She interrupted, shaking her head. Zeke smiled warmly, taking her entire body into his arms as she sat on his knee. The two embraced for a moment and the final rays of light faded away. With just her glow now, they watched as one by one the stars started to emerge.

"Ah!" Zeke quickly pointed, "Look."

A star shot across the blanket of night sky. He leaned forward a bit and nuzzled the crook of her neck, "You know what they say about shooting stars right? Those who see them together are fated to stay close forever."

Pandoria blushed, feeling as innocent as the day they first met one another. "I…never knew that."

"Pandy…what do you say? I'll find us a gig here. There was…a small cottage. Just enough room for us right on the edge of town. It's landlocked and it doesn't have the best view…but…"

"Zeke! I want to stay here with you!" She turned around and nearly toppled him over. He let her body take his, and fell back, his spine now kissing the ground. She hovered over him, grabbing his wrists. He rubbed her hair gently and brought her down, letting her lay atop him. "Of course Pandoria. We will. Let's get a little bit more cash and buy that cottage. I would do anything…just to make sure you're happy."

Any doubts she had about her Driver were instantly dissipated that night. The two slept soundly under the protection of the stars.

While sorely browsing through the jobs at the local bulletin board, the blue haired woman from earlier panted as she ran up to them. She grasped her chest for air, and Pandoria helped her to stand up. "What's wrong?"

"Are you…two…Driver and Blade?"

"Yes ma'am. What seems to be the matter?"

"Sorry…I don't mean to impose…but…I'm Corrine. I run the local orphanage here. Please, hear me out." Corrine was near crying as she began to describe her situation, "A child of mine, found a core crystal. She was able to resonate with it but…I never thought that bandits…would take her. We've never had a problem with them before…why would they come here of all places?"

Pandoria felt her blood run cold, looking over at Zeke who had pin-point pupils. He slammed his fist into the side of the wooden board and grumbled, "Shit! The bastards followed us didn't they?"

The prince clenched his teeth tightly, his eyebrows knitting. "Pandoria…the bandits that have been perusing us…I am so sorry. I pledged an oath a long time ago to never destroy a life. However…kindapping an innocent child? For a Blade? They will suffer the consequences!"

Corrine pouted but shook his hand, "Thank you kind sir…who are you?"

"I'm the Bringer of Chaos. And I will smite these villains for you, in the name of justice!" The two posed heroically, "Did you see which way they went with her?"

"No…but they were trying to pose a ransom to meet me in by the cliffs of the second island."

"We'll go meet them there then." Zeke placed his hand on her shoulder, "We'll get your child back. Don't worry yourself."

"Thank you so much kind sir….you truly are a hero."

Pandoria followed closely behind Zeke, who had a determined gaze in his eye. But there was a foreboding feeling in the air, a suffocating warning of fate. Something wasn't right.


	15. Fallen

The prince of Tantal felt his lungs burn inside his ribs, a sheer wave of determination mixed with panic flooded his entire being. He had dealt with kidnappings before, but never for a child. It was barbarous! His teeth never stopped gritting as he quickly paced himself through each island, looking closely for clues of where the bandits were off too next.

"I can't believe this…they would take a child just for her Driver's resonation skill?" Zeke grumbled as he searched every nook and cranny, finally discovering a fresh footprint in the sands leading towards a densely forested island that looked writhe with cliffs and hills.

Pandoria gasped as she saw something flying in from overhead. "Look my Prince!"

Zeke stared up and felt his mouth go lax at the sight of an Indoline carrier ship smoothly flying in from the skies. It appeared very similar to a dragon, wings aglow with the warmth of ether. "Why are Indol soldiers here?" He felt his eyebrows knit tightly together.

"Perhaps they are making a visit…there was an orphanage. And those kiddos have got to go to school too right?" Pandoria suggested with a tiny shrug.

"Well then we probably should hurry. We don't want Corrine to look like a fool in front of important figures, now do we?"

Zeke leaned over the edge of a cliff, spotting an old campsite below. One of the bandits was keeping watch. He appeared to be of Urayan descent with deep blue skin and craggy rocks scattered about his skin. Pandoria nervously held her tail close, trying to calm her ether so her glow wasn't so obvious. The forest was so dense that the shadows suffocated the daylight. "The thugs must be around this area."

"It feels different than from before…" Pandoria muttered back to him, clutching onto his side. He tried to calm her down all while glancing about between the trees. "The ether they're giving off is almost suffocating. Either they're really strong or there's a lot of them…and either option makes me scared my prince."

"Us scared? We have the Thunder on our side!" He triumphantly rose his fist up. A twig snapped nearby and the two flinched, watching as the hulk of a Driver emerged. He was a human, looking fierce with a twitch in his eye and scars littering his body. The Blade he stood by was a massive four-legged beast with sharp rings tightly clung to its body.

Another Driver emerged of Gormotti descent, bearing a Blade that was as tall as it was wide and two swords closely clutched to its side.

The last was a woman, looking perhaps to be from Mor Ardain with black hair and extremely tanned skin. She covered her face with a mask, and wore a sinister looking cloak. Her Blade was a bird-like quadrupedal monster that Zeke put bluntly: "Looked like a tiger had one too many with a crow".

The three gathered and whispered among themselves. Pandoria lifted her ear, trying to listen. Zeke patiently awaited her response but she shook her head, "They're too far…" She quietly told.

His eye widened when he spotted a plethora of Core Crystals and the Gormotti retreated for a few brief moments. When he returned he had the little girl, of dark skin and blazing red hair come before the group. Shivering, her Blade was nowhere to be seen.

The woman slapped the back of her head, and threatened her loudly while pointing at the crystals. Nervously the little girl plucked them up, but after she focused for a few moments the glow of the crystal died. Just as the woman was going to raise her hand again, with her whip in hand Zeke charged forward. He caught it just in time from behind and huffed, "Let her go you fiends!"

"Who are you?" The woman scowled, as she slashed her whip-like sword towards him. He managed to dodge in and Pandoria got in range of him, their ether connecting and the power flowing to his blade.

"Don't you know lady?" He chuckled, "I am Zeke Von Genbu! Also known as the Zekenator! I am the Bridger of Chaos! And I will bring justice to your group!" He stood protectively in front of the girl all while his sword chaotically charged with the electric storm inside.

"Your legacy will end here, pathetic Driver!" The woman cackled as she whistled, and the two men got into a formation behind her.

Pandoria urged the little girl to run, and she did without question far away into the distance.

"Boss! She's getting away!"

"Forget her! She could barely resonate with her first Blade, let alone another. We'll get her yet, after we kill this pathetic fool!"

Zeke smirked, "Unlikely!"

He exchanged blows with the Gormotti coming after him. The man scowled, "I've heard of you! You were the one that destroyed my brother's Blade!"

"And I'll do it yours if you don't back down!" Zeke managed to push him away and slashed threateningly at his clothes. The impact left him sizzled a bit, and he yipped softly. "N…never!"

The human roared as he jumped above the two, and slammed his feet down on Zeke's chest. The prince fell, but quickly stood all while deflecting blows with the broad side of his sword. The man tried to scurry away in between trees but Zeke eventually learned his tactic and slammed his sword into a trunk. The respective tree came barreling down and slammed onto the back of the Driver.

The prince bit his lip with guilt as he watched the feline Blade return to its core crystal. He breathed out, reminding himself that this was for the sake of justice. The woman leading the trope yelled with agony at his defeat, and pushed her team member out of the way.

She slashed violently and quickly at him, even landing a few blows onto his exposed body. Pandoria tired to break the opponent's earth-like defense but nothing seemed to fully hit. Zeke focused hard on her, trying his best to dodge and weave from her moves but she was almost far too quick for his clunky sword. He gulped a bit. She was different from the rest…but why?

For what felt like hours, the two raged against one another in battle. Zeke had promptly taken the other Driver out, this time only knocking the member unconscious with a well-timed zap.

As much as he hurt her, she just seemed to keep getting stronger.

And then he felt his foot slip off the edge of a cliff. His whole body felt numb, eyes wide with fear. Even as Pandoria held out her hand to catch him, the Driver woman bolted at the two. She seized her opportunity and with precision made a deep wound in his chest. He clutched at it, and fell backwards while Pandoria held tightly to the hem of his jacket.

Zeke's body hit the cliff twice on the way down, and finally he lay facing the afternoon sky with breath starting to hitch. Pandoria pulled herself together quickly shaking the dirt from her hair and body. She felt herself go into a panic seeing Zeke lying before her, bleeding and coughing.

For the first time in their career together, in their relationship Pandoria felt helpless.

The sound of crystals returning to their cores echoed in the distance as well as the scream of the woman they were just fighting. The Blade refused to question this, only focusing on Zeke.

All she could do was kneel next to him and hover over his head. She clenched her teeth and pushed him gently. He responded but barely.

She dragged his body a little bit, and could hear the sounds of someone approaching. They were close to the pier…maybe they could get help there.

"My prince…we can go get help!" She begged almost, her voice cracking. Zeke only breathed, a heavy dying breath. He didn't even have the strength to look at her.

"My prince! Zeke! Not like this! Not here!" She shoved him a little and felt her vision become misty with tears.

"Not far now! Just a little further…I know you can do it!" She stared at his legs, praying to the Arcitect that they would twitch and move and he would rise like a hero and lick his wounds. But still he lay.

He finally opened his eyes and stared to the ceiling of leaves. His eye was less shiny than usual, and he gave her a small glance. "Just…leave me…Go on…without me…"

"No!" She slammed her fists into the earth and her voice almost failed her, "If you die, I'll turn back into a Core Crystal!" She shook her head with the threat of it finally starting to hit her, "I don't wanna forget everything!"

He opened his eye again and smiled still even with the pain. Her heart broke. "Pandy…I'm sorry…" He was starting to sound more and more wheezed. "I hope…your next Driver…is better…than me…"

She felt the tears trickle down her cheeks as she tried to roll him over, "I don't want another Driver! You're…you're good enough!"

He tried his best for the last of his strength to hold out but his hand fell to his side and whatever words he was about to state were lost to the final strangle of death. His body went limp.

Pandoria could feel her whole body tremble, "Prince! ZEKE!"

She struggled but felt a determination swell inside her. She managed to roll his limp body over and with all of the strength remaining inside her, she propped him onto her shoulder and dragged him through the forest. She could hear the ships starting to become docked, the calls and whistles in the distance. He was heavy but she powered through. She wasn't sure if he could even hear her anymore but grunted through, "I refuse to forget our 10 years together! It's not going to happen!"

But something was starting to go wrong. She could feel her ether well drying up almost, and her lights started to dim. She fell to her knees, "I'm not…letting you die here…"

Her chest hit the ground, Zeke's body piled atop hers. The sound of footsteps made her open her eyes once more. She gazed up and could only feel a sense of grief, disappointment and pain. A man who had features she wasn't able to distinguish in the last blurry moments of her existence here stood over her.

"Bandits?" She weakly asked, shaking her head gently. "Sucks…I don't want to be a bandits Blade. But…I guess I won't remember it anyway…"

The world became dark.

Pandoria awoke with a jolt, her breath returned. She stared at her fingers and looked at the soft bed underneath her. They were not on Letheria any longer that was obvious…everything was so white and clean here. With a confusion she concentrated and could recall every detail of her long partnership with Zeke vividly. The first time they met and she had thrown him into the wall, the clumsy long years before his banishment from Tantal, their first mission together, the date, the kiss…the confessions…everything.

"Prince?" She begged to the empty room, getting up as quickly as she could. She noticed another bed nearby and surely enough Zeke was there. He was not moving but his chest fluttered up and down every now and again. She walked over to him, a smile of relief spreading across her face. It was soon soured by an unknown voice emerging from behind her.

"Fear not." The man's voice was booming and demanding attention…but it was also gentle and calming. "He is going to be fine."

She turned around and stared up at the tall man, who had a gray-blue tint to his skin. His features were long, with strange triangular ears and a long white goatee. He had a large hat and a flowing white robe with golden streaks. A ring seemed to caress each finger.

"You…you saved him?" She had so many more questions than just this but for the time being it was all she could muster to ask.

He opened his arms with a warm smile, "The fact that you're alive is proof of this, is it not?"

She finally noticed what was different. Her fingers gently moved to her core crystal and she gasped, noticing the shape was off. A triangular piece of it had been somehow removed.

The strange man placed his hands behind his back, and lowered his head to explain, "I had to transplant part of your Core Crystal into his heart. His wounds were grave, it was the only way to save you both."

She stared back at her Driver longingly…and waited.

She waited nearly three days for him to emerge from his bedroom. But he was there, he was alive and she embraced him with every ounce of strength she had in herself.

While they walked out to speak to the Praetor Amalthus, the man who had saved them, Zeke faced away from her and placed his hands on his hips. "I'm sorry…It's all my fault."

Pandoria shook her head while her tail sadly wiggled, "Actually I'm glad."

"What? Why?"

She leaned towards him and giggled, "Knowing that a part of me is keeping you alive…I dunno it's just nice?"

He gave her a determined look, but it softened. "Pandy…"

"What is it?"

He turned away from her to hide his blush a little and cleared his throat out, "Once long ago, it was said that Drivers and Blades would…do things such as this to announce their union together as one so…perhaps it is the same for us? All I know is, I want you to be happy, and if that means sharing my life with you then so be it."

Pandoria was speechless, and her heart started to warm. Every part of her lit up with the largest, biggest smile she could muster at him.

It didn't matter what would come after all this.

She was with him, and he was with her.


End file.
